Routledge Sculpture and the Museum (Subject/Object: New Studies in Sculpture)

Sculpture and the Museum is the first in-depth examination of the varying roles and meanings assigned to sculpture in museums and galleries during the modern period, from neo-classical to contemporary art practice. It considers a rich array of curatorial strategies and settings in order to examine the many reasons why sculpture has enjoyed a position of such considerable importance - and complexity - within the institutional framework of the museum and how changes to the museum have altered, in turn, the ways that we perceive the sculpture within it. In particular, the contributors consider the complex issue of how best to display sculpture across different periods and according to varying curatorial philosophies. Sculptors discussed include Canova, Rodin, Henry Moore, Flaxman and contemporary artists such as Rebecca Horn, Rachel Whiteread, Mark Dion and Olafur Eliasson, with a variety of museums in America, Canada and Europe presented as case studies. Underlying all of these discussions is a concern to chart the critical importance of the acquisition, placement and display of sculpture in museums and to explore the importance of sculptures as a forum for the expression of programmatic statements of power, prestige and the museum's own sense of itself in relation to its audiences and its broader institutional aspirations. Review '... notes and references for each essay are supplemented by the select bibliography and thorough index, which offer valuable information for researchers. Extremely useful for those with sculpture and curatorial foci, this volume is an exciting addition for fine art and museum libraries... Recommended.' Choice 'The lively discussions in Sculpture and the Museum make it clear that sculpture should never be just 'something that you back into while trying to get a better view of a painting'.' Cassone 'This volume will become a standard reference work on the topic, and joins the increasingly large literature on the subject of display.' Journal of Art Historiography '... a compendium of fascinating information about sculpture.' Burlington Magazine 'Sculpture and the Museum is a very welcome addition to the field of sculpture studies...' Museum and Society 'The essays, written by art historians and museum professionals at various stages of their careers, as well as Christopher Marshall’s introductory text present a timely and rather expansive view of the complex issues engendered by the physical placement of sculpture within the space of the museum.' The Sculpture Journal About the Author Christopher R. Marshall, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Museum Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia