From 'cabinets of curiosities' to assemblages of found objects and imitations of museum displays, artists have often turned their attention to the ideas and systems traditionally embodied in the museum - display, archiving, classification, storage, curatorship - which they have then appropriated, mimicked and reinterpreted in their own work. Citing a huge range of examples, James Putnam shows not only the ways in which artists have been influenced by museum systems and made their works into simulations of the museum, but also how they have questioned the role of museums, observed their practices, intervened in them and helped to redefine them.

An extensive survey of the relationship between contemporary artists and museums

About the Author
James Putnam is an independent curator and writer. He is currently Senior Research Fellow, Exhibitions at the London College of Fashion in London.

Reviews
'A rare experience. It is a book concerned with complex issues that expresses them in a simple, engaging way and refrains from retreating into jargon ... a rewarding exercise in the visual.' - The Art Book
'A significant addition to the existing scholarship' - Tate Magazine



Book Information
ISBN 9780500288351
Author James Putnam
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1030g