The Art Institute pt. 2

Our most recent trip to the Art Institute was two fold - Our main goal was to view the works of Timothy O'Sullivan, but first we were treated to a behind the scenes discussion with the Art Institute's head of photographic conservation Getting to go into the underground headquarters of what is arguably Chicago's best collection of photographs was pretty exciting, and seeing some of the prints unmasked and on display was equally interesting. I will say our host was...informative. Although not the most riveting speaker, I felt that I learned a great deal about what it actually means to work for a museum, and the challenges photo conservators face when dealing with unstable chemical processes from many different eras in photography's history. I knew old prints were notoriously fragile, but I had no idea how vulnerable old photos are to not only their chemical make up, but also the things touching the photograph and the environment it is stored in as well. It did surprise me even more to know that c-prints prints from the early color era were the least stable of all existent photographic media. I was also relieved to find out that my digital inkjet prints are not nearly as fragile as what photographers faced in the old days.
Getting the chance to actually step behind closed doors and explore the real inner workings of the conservators' workspace was a pretty unique experience as well. Seeing all the time and effort put into preserving pieces of photographic art, both in house and on the road, really makes you think about how important institutions like art museums are to global culture, history, and education. It makes you realize that art is not merely an expression of inner vision or aesthetic beauty, but a means of preserving ideas for future generations. It takes a lot of effort to keep cultural history alive, and its good to know that so many people are still dedicated to making sure our children's children will be able to see these same photos long after we are gone.

I feel our talk with the conservator was a good preparation exercise for viewing the O'Sullivan prints. I know for me, the lecture allowed me to view the entire exhibition in terms of how the art conservators at the museum want it to be experienced. Its not as easy as just acquiring some work and hanging it on a wall. A lot of thought goes into how particular work is shown. The bit I found very interesting is how many modern art scholars are attempting to bring photography to a museum setting while still retaining the original "essence" of the work. For example, rather than making O'Sullivan's work out to be fine art, they presented it with maps, surveys, and detailed background information - exactly how it would have been seen and experienced by lawmakers who were seeing the western survey books for the first time. This same background information also helped me to appreciate the work to a greater degree. I personally am not crazy about natural landscape shots. However in the context of the time period the photos were shot in, it makes you realize how incredibly difficult it must have been to make it back to civilization with prints of that quality. O'Sullivan working out of a wagon with highly unstable materials in the middle of the high sierras, yet was able to come out with gorgeous, clean glass plate negatives and 3D stereoscopic prints. And although he was simply told to take survey pictures, they have an artistic flair and general curiosity that would be hard to find in any era, much less in a time just after photography was born.