VISITING AN ART MUSEUM OR GALLERY
Resources for second level students and teachers
Exhibition: D ouble Vision
Artist: Various Artists selected from The Niland Collection
VISITING AN ART MUSEUM OR GALLERY
The Art Museum or Gallery
p.2
What is an Art museum or Gallery?
What is a Collection?
The Collection
Creating an Exhibition
p.3
What is a Curator?
How does a Curator create an Exhibition?
- artworks
- security
- lighting
- display
- audience
1
THE ART MUSEUM OR GALLERY
What is an Art
Museum or Art
Gallery?
A public art museum or art gallery is an environment designed to display artworks for public viewing which
can contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of art. A private art gallery may also display
artworks for public viewing however their primary focus may be commercial rather than civic or
educational. Art museums and galleries may also have other functions such as the collection, conservation
and study of art. Some art museums and galleries display a range of art historical and contemporary artworks
while others may focus on a particular period such as contemporary art.
The Model,
home of the
Niland
Collection
The Model is one of main public art galleries in the north-west of Ireland. The Model presents a wide variety
of art in a dynamic programme of exhibitions, which regularly includes work from its own Collection. It also
creates access to art and artists through its education and public programmes.
What is an
Exhibition?
An exhibition is the display of a range of artworks either by an individual artist or a group of artists.
This may
- include paintings, drawings, sculpture, video, film, sound, light, installation, text, performance,
interactive art and new media
- focus on the recent work of an individual artist or a range of their work over a period of time
- focus on the work of a group of artists who share a common theme, technique or subject matter
- focus on aspects of the Museum's collection, such as recent acquisitions
- adopt a thematic approach, such as:
- art work created during a particular time period
- the methodologies and materials of art making
- art which addresses political, social or contemporary issues
What is a
Collection?
A collection is the total body of artworks an art gallery or art museum possesses. The collection of a museum
forms an important part of its programmes, such as exhibitions, education and access. A museum can build
its collection by buying artworks, commissioning artworks and/or accepting loans and donations of
artworks.
Policy
An art museum will have a collecting policy which sets out the conditions by which works are acquired,
presented, conserved, stored and loaned. For example, a museum may choose to collect only the work of
artists within a particular timeframe or from a particular period or school.
Storage
The conditions for storing art works need to take into consideration the delicate and potentially perishable
nature of any artworks. Works need to be easily accessed to monitor their condition, to make exhibition
selections and for research purposes.
2
Conservation
Many artworks are fragile and vulnerable to deterioration and damage. A conservator is a specialist
employed by a museum or gallery or hired by the gallery, who uses a range of skills and techniques to restore
the work as closely as possible to its original condition. The variety of materials, formats and techniques
employed in contemporary art practice presents an ongoing challenge to conservation.
The Niland
Collection
The Niland Collection, which comprises approximately 300 works, has been developed since mid 1950s
through purchase, donations and long-term loans, as well as by the commissioning of new works. The
collection is named after Norah Niland. She was the county librarian in Co. Sligo (d.1988). She began
collecting Jack B. Yeats paintings in the late 1950s. The Niland Collection has over 25 works by Jack B.
Yeats.
CREATING AN EXHIBITION
What is a
Curator?
A curator is a person who devises and implements plans for exhibitions.
A curator is someone who brings together ideas, artists and artworks and presents them to the public in
new ways. In the case of this exhibition the young curators have worked together with gallery staff and
local artists to design the layout of the rooms in the gallery, so as to create a unique experience for visitors.
How does a
Curator Create
an Exhibition?
There is no standardised approach to creating an exhibition. Each exhibition is unique and is informed by
the curator's concept and the practical considerations of the exhibition space. A curator will develop an
idea for an exhibition, which may be to focus on the work of a particular artist or group of artists or on a
theme, such as artworks concerned with the landscape or the use of new media.
Usually working a part of a team, the curator will then devise a plan for the selection and arrangement of the
artworks within an exhibition space. The curator will select works to be included in the exhibition, possibly
drawing on a Niland collection and/or borrowing works from other museums and galleries or collectors. In
the case of ‘Double Vision’, a lot of historically significant memorabilia was borrowed from the Mid-Antrim
Museum at the Braid in Ballymena, Antrim.
Borrowing works from other museums and galleries or private sources involves the creation of loan
agreements, which outline the terms of the loan, arranging transport and insurance.
A work which is made available on loan is subject to a condition check before it is sent and when it arrives.
Any damage as a result of transportation is referred to a conservator.
The layout of the exhibition is informed by the curator's plan for the exhibition and will take into account
several factors which will inform the placement of the artworks:
- the relationship between the art works
- the overarching theme of the exhibition
- the security and preservation of the artworks
- lighting, safety, security
- the engagement with the viewer/audience
- the physical contingencies of the building and exhibition spaces
3
Relationship
between the
artworks
An exhibition usually comprises a number of artworks and, whether they are all by the same artist or by a
group of artists, consideration must be given to how the artworks interact with and relate to each other. The
relationships between artworks can contribute to the communication of the overall curatorial strategy
informing the exhibition.
The way in which art works relate to each other may:
- create relationships which reinforce or subvert the curatorial strategy;
- relate to a theme underpinning the exhibition;
- demonstrate a phase of development or a shift in the artist's practice;
- give an overview of the artist's entire practice, such as a retrospective;
- emphasise the artist's technique and use of materials;
- reflect the subject matter, timeframe or context.
It is also possible that the art works may not relate to each other and this may be part of the curatorial
strategy, to juxtapose and create tension between works. This was a central tenet when planning the
Double Vision layout, where new layers of meaning surface by pairing and juxtaposing paintings with
objects.
Security
Security strategies need to be included in the planning and implementation of an exhibition. Security and
information staff invigilates exhibitions and additional security devices, such as alarms and CCTV cameras,
are employed to ensure the safety of the artworks. Some artworks in an exhibition may be particularly
vulnerable to damage or theft. These concerns will inform the placement of such artworks within an
exhibition and whether additional security measures, such as placing a barrier in front of the work or
placing the work in a glass frame or vitrine, need to be employed.
Lighting
The lighting used in an exhibition space is an essential element in the display of an artwork. The role of
lighting in an exhibition space contributes to the preservation of the artwork and facilitates the viewer to
see the work. Light wavelength and intensity can damage an artwork, especially a delicate artwork such as
a print, drawing, photograph or watercolour. An artwork's level of tolerance of light will depend on the
materials used to create the work and the level and duration of exposure to light during the exhibition.
Some inks, pigments and fabrics are susceptible to lengthy exposure to light. The level of visible light
employed in a display space needs to take into consideration both the preservation needs of the artwork
and the needs of the viewer. Creative lighting strategies can be employed to address the need for low
lighting levels; for example by reducing the levels of ambient light below the level falling on the exhibit, or
by the balancing of warm and cool light and the use of spotlights. Other issues which need to be taken into
consideration are the use of natural (daylight) versus artificial light and the impact of such light on both the
artwork and how it facilitates the viewer's experience. Filaments may be placed over windows to minimise
the impact of daylight exposure.
4
Display
Mechanisms
The way in which artworks are displayed can vary considerably depending on the nature and materials of
the artwork and also on the curatorial strategy of the exhibition. Conventional gallery spaces are often white
or neutral colours with little or no furniture. Traditional artworks such as paintings and prints tend to be
hung on walls either individually or collectively. Three dimensional art works are often displayed on plinths,
in vitrines (Perspex cases) or on the floor, depending on their nature and size. Security and preservation
concerns inform such considerations. For example, fragile artworks may require specialised frames, cases or
guard rails. Contemporary art works, such as installation and performance, and artworks created using new
media, such as film, video and digital technology, present considerable challenges to conventional display
methodologies and have contributed to the expansion of display methodologies and mechanisms.
Innovative curatorial strategies often seek to subvert traditional approaches to display by seeking out new
and unconventional ways of displaying art work and also to challenge the viewer's expectations of how art
work should be seen.
The Audience
or Viewer
The layout of an exhibition also needs to take into consideration the needs of the viewer in terms of access
to the artworks and to information about the artworks. The layout of the exhibition and the way in which
the viewer finds their way through the exhibition contributes to the viewer's engagement with the
artwork. Some exhibitions employ a narrative or thematic approach which involves a linear or chronological
viewing of the artworks, starting and finishing at designated points. This approach may be reinforced by
the provision of supplementary information to guide the viewer through the exhibition, such as labels next
to the artworks, extended text labels at the beginning or at intervals throughout the exhibition, exhibition
guides, maps providing a layout of the exhibition spaces and/or audio guides. The labels usually include
the artist's name, the date of the artwork, the materials used and if it's part of the collection, it may also
include the acquisition number. Extended text panels may provide some contextual information about the
artworks. Many exhibitions, especially exhibitions of contemporary art, employ an open-ended rather than
a chronological approach, where there is no clear starting or finishing point to the exhibition.
Supplementary information about the exhibition may be provided before entering the exhibition or at a
designated 'reading space' within the exhibition.
THE EXHIBITION
Name of
Exhibition
Double Vision
Dates of
Exhibition
11th February, 2012 – 4th May, 2012
Location of
Exhibition
The Model, Sligo. 1st Floor Galleries: Niland Gallery and West Gallery. The original building was The Model
School, built in 1845.
Display
Two-dimensional artworks are displayed on the walls at eye level. Three-dimensional works are displayed
on plinths to enable the viewer to see the work from a number of different angles and some threedimensional works, such as archive material and fragile objects, are displayed in Perspex display cases
called vitrines. Each work has a label providing standard information, such as title, materials, date, etc. An
information panel at the entrance of the exhibition provides further contextual information about the
paintings and historical objects on display.
5
Lighting
The lighting in the exhibition spaces is gauged to take account of the diversity of artworks and objects on
display. The gallery windows have been blocked out to minimise variations in light and light monitors
measure the amount of light absorbed by the various paper works, such as tablecloths in the vitrines. Track
and spot lighting are used to direct light at specific works while maintaining an overall level of lighting
throughout the exhibition.
Layout of
Exhibition
Double Vision is made up of two rooms; the Niland Gallery and the West Gallery. The Niland Gallery
juxtaposes layers of meaning by pairing paintings with objects to create new connections. The second
room focuses on the theme of music - the West Gallery has been transformed into a silent disco. Local
musicians were given an open call by the young curators to cover a song by any of the many bands and
artists that graced the stage of ‘The Flamingo Ballroom’ (Ireland's first commercial ballroom). Old posters
from gigs by The Rolling Stones and The Undertones are displayed, sharing the same space as Jack B.
Yeats’ ‘The Singing Clown’. Both groups of young curators were really taken by the bands who played
in the old Ballymena venue. Music was definitely a shared theme and their feelings about the Disco
Room would mirror the words of Henry Miller, when he said, “In the end I think of music as saving grace
for all humanity.”
Audience/view The artworks are displayed to enable the viewer to see the works and, where appropriate, to move around
er
the works and look at them from several angles. In other exhibitions, three-dimensional work, such as
furniture and sculpture, are placed on plinths to prevent the works from being handled or damaged. In this
case, the painting ‘The Singing Clown’, by Jack B. Yeats, is actually roped off behind rope rails to prevent
the work from being handled or damaged. The other oil paintings from The Niland Collection on display
have been mirror- plated to the wall. The 3 dimensional works, the nun and the orange man located in front
of the Paul Henry Wallpaper in The Niland Gallery for example, are displayed on plinths.
One section of the wall of the Niland Gallery has been offered to all visitors to actively engage with the
exhibition. This ‘response wall’ provides the viewer with an opportunity to literally have their thoughts and
feelings become part of the exhibition space by writing or drawing their thoughts and feelings about
Double Vision directly onto this wall.
The Exhibition
Various paintings from The Niland Collection, including a work by Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957),
and various historical objects from the Mid-Antrim Museum at The Braid.
About the
Exhibition
Double Vision is a groundbreaking exhibition developed and curated by young people in Sligo and
Ballymena. The Young Curators program at The Model sought to encourage and strengthen students’
visual literacy skills by taking them through the process of organizing an art exhibition in collaboration with
another youth group from Co. Antrim. Over the two years prior to the exhibition opening, the Young
Curators have been curating artwork with history; identifying themes, soliciting and selecting works by
artists in The Niland Collection, pairing these paintings with objects selected by the young curators from
The Braid, and then promoting and installing this exhibition. Double Vision deals with connections. This
display challenges our tendency to define and limit our understanding of ourselves and others with
boundaries, and focuses on works which celebrate cultural, generational and artistic connections. The
young curators from both sides of the border collaborated together to consider issues of citizenship, identity
and cultural democracy. The title of the exhibition, Double Vision, comes from the two groups of young
people attempting to construct a shared vision of a show that they would both be proud to display in their
hometowns. ‘Double Vision’ is also the name of a song by Rory Gallagher, who once played in The
Flamingo Ballroom in Ballymena in 1971.
About one of
the Artworks
The Singing Clown: Johnny Patterson Singing ‘Bridget Donoghue’, 1928
The Artist
Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957)
Materials
Oil on canvas
6
Dimensions
46 x 61 cm
Subject Matter
Yeats’ work reveals an unending fascination with circus life and with the figure of the clown in particular.
Like other modernists, Yeats may have seen parallels between the role of the artist and that of the clown
within the circus. The clown is generally portrayed as an isolated figure set apart from the rest of society
and marked out by the absurdity of his painted smile.
This painting portrays the legendary Co. Clare born circus performer Johnny Patterson (1840-89), whom
Yeats saw perform as a child. Patterson, who was a particularly tragic figure, appears in a number of Yeats’
later oil paintings, perhaps as a symbol of the essential loneliness and despair at the heart of the human
condition. A trapeze artist and bareback rider, Patterson had great success in the US in the 1870s before
returning to Ireland and to set up his own circus company, Patterson’s Great United States Circus. His
writing and performing of his own songs, such as Bridget Donoghue, earned him the title of The Singing
Clown. However Patterson’s private life was blighted by tragedy that saw him descend into alcoholism.
During a show in 1889, Patterson, an ardent follower of Charles Stuart Parnell, performed a newly composed
song Do Your Best for One Another, urging loyalists and nationalists to put their differences aside and unite.
A section of the audience objected to the sentiments in the song, and in the ensuing row Patterson was
mortally wounded and died some days later.
Materials and
Technique
In the early stages of his career Yeats worked as a graphic artist and cartoonist using ink and pencil and also
watercolour. Later he began working in oils, using paint brushes, palette knives and sometimes applying
think paint using the impasto technique directly to the canvas from the tube or with his fingers. In this
painting he uses oil on canvas.
Some of the paint is applied in fast, broad brushstrokes directly to the canvas using a dry brush technique
which leaves the surface and texture of the canvas visible to form the background of the painting through
the painted foliage. Small amounts of thick white impasto paint indicate a source of light above the figures
and create a diagonal of light which draws the viewer's eye to the centre of painting, to the figures and
upwards to the source of the light. With the exception of the two loosely-painted figures on the bench in
the foreground, the painting is almost abstract. The colours used are sombre and muted, expressing the
mood of the painting rather the reality of the scene.
About the
Artist
Considered to be one of the most important Irish painters of the early 20th century, Jack B. Yeats was born in
London in 1871, and spent much of his childhood in county Sligo. He studied in several art schools
including the Westminster School of Art in London and initially worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for
London magazines and journals. He visited New York in 1904 and was exposed to the work of key modern
artists. The influence of the vernacular realism of the Ashcan School in New York is evident in Yeats' choice
of subject matter - aspects of everyday life - and also his dark palette and expressive brushwork. Several
works by Yeats were included in the seminal Armory International Exhibition of Modern Art in 1913. In
1910 he moved to Ireland and painted scenes of everyday life, in particular events and spectacles, such as
horse races, the circus, markets or street scenes. He was friends with the Expressionist artist Oskar
Kokoschka and the influence of the Expressionist movement can be seen in his work from the 1920s, with
its emphasis on use of colour and subject matter to convey mood and emotion rather than to depict reality.
His later work is characterised by a gradual loosening of style, less dependency on line and use of thick
impasto paint and a broader colour range. His later work is concerned with the expression of emotions of joy
or grief through vivid brushstrokes and unmixed primary colours in dreamlike images.
7
List of artworks from The Niland Collection in ‘Double Vision’ exhibition –
(chronologically listed)
Paul Henry, RHA (1876-1958)
The Lake of the Tears of the Sorrowing Women
Oil on canvas
The Niland Collection
Presented by James A Healy, 1975 (Josephine C Healy Memorial Collection)
Paul Henry, RHA (1876-1958)
Dublin Customs House
Lithograph
The Niland Collection
Presented by James A Healy, 1975, (Josephine C Healy Memorial Collection)
Seán Keating (1889-1977)
Turf-Gatherer
oil on canvas
The Niland Collection
Presented by James A Healy, 1975 (Josephine C Healy Memorial Collection)
Seán Keating (1889–1977)
William and Mary
Pastel on paper
The Niland Collection
Presented by The Haverty Trust
Rita Duffy (b. 1959)
Belfast Pieta, 1991
Oil and charcoal on wax paper
Graeve Collection
Rita Duffy (b. 1959)
Siege II, 1989
Oil on gesso panel
Graeve Collection
Dorothy Cross (b. 1956)
Stiletto II, 1994
leather shoes and cow's teats
Graeve Collection
Jack B. Yeats (1871 – 1957)
Cartoon for Figure of Christ, 1903
Gouache on paper
The Niland Collection
Purchased by Sligo County Library and Museum through public subscription, 1966
Jack B. Yeats (1871 – 1957)
Johnny Paterson singing 'Bridget Donoghue' (The Singing Clown), 1928
Oil on canvas
The Niland Collection
Presented by James A Healy, 1966 (John and Catherine Healy Memorial Collection)
Jack B. Yeats (1871 – 1957)
Untitled, Interior of a Shop, c. 1905
pen and ink
The Niland Collection
Purchased 1970
8
Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957)
Red Hanrahan’s Vision, 1896-7
Monochrome watercolour wash
Purchased by Sligo County Library and Museum, 1968
George Russell (Æ) (1867 – 1935)
The Sower
Oil on board
The Niland Collection
Presented by James A Healy, 1966 (John & Catherine Healy Memorial Collection)
List of artefacts from The Mid-Antrim Museum at The Braid in ‘Double Vision’
exhibition – (chronologically listed)
Charles and Diana tea towel, 1981
Linen
Gweneth Campbell
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Erin playing her harp, with poem, c.1905
Card
NPO Belfast
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Mayor’s Chair, 1928
Mahogany, leather
Maker unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum, Civic Collection
Mod Jacket, c.1965
Textile
Manufacturer unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
First World War soldier’s greatcoat, c.1916
Textile
Manufacturer unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Canon ball, c.1800
Iron
Maker unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Friction Vacuum Cleaner, c.1940
Steel, pine, textile
Labor Saving Device Co Ltd. USA
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Woollen Mill Shuttle, c.1975
Wood, steel
Manufacturer unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
9
Orangeman doll, c.2000
Wool
Maker unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Order of St Louis doll, 2005
Ceramic, textile
Blessings USA
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Rotary telephone, c.1975
Plastic
Manufacturer unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Flamingo Ballroom sign, 1960
Plastic
Maker unknown
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Undertones poster, c.1978
Paper
Bridge Street Printing, Ballymena
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Rolling Stones poster, 1964
Paper
Ballymena Observer
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
Sheeba poster, c.1977
Paper
Bridge Street Printing, Ballymena
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
78rpm audio discs
Shellac
Various
Courtesy of Mid-Antrim Museum
10