After a long summer of strange weather I am welcoming the cooler weather and the September issue of The Art Section. I am very excited about Vinnie Murphy’s new book Page to Stage: The Craft of Adaptation and his dialogue with Philip Auslander here. Both these artist/scholars have their roots in the theatre and, in fact, they both studied and acted in the Boston Children’s Theatre as, well, children. I am delighted to have this dialogue published here. 

 

In thinking about adaptation I am more than pleased to present Matthew Ostrowski’s version of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope. Although Matthew’s piece is intended to be presented as a ten-channel video installation, I first saw it in a single channel format and we are presenting only one of the channels here. I found it so compelling that I had to watch Hitchcock’s 1948 original, which I found to be very provocative for its day. 

 

And since works of art are so important to us I have written an essay about the presentation of the traveling exhibition The Girl With A Pearl Earring, the marketing of this show, what was included and, more importantly, what was left out. Since the way we perceive things is bracketed by how they are presented, the curator’s eye needs to be more present in every aspect of the show’s presentation, be it a children’s workshop or an Internet advertisement. If museums are the keepers and protectors of art works both in our minds and in our eyes they, too, are shaping our perceptions of the art work.

 

What we are looking at and how has become more and more interesting to me. If you have seen a particular show in a particular place and would like to email us a short (2 or 3 line) commentary, we will consider it for the magazine. Please put the word commentary in the subject line

 

Looking forward to hearing from you. 

 

Deanna