At the Getty Center, here in Los Angeles, they categorize their exhibits based on time period, region of origin, and type of art. The direction and ordering of the various buildings are based on date, with the exception of temporary exhibit space. Beginning with the building closest to the entrance, works from before 1700 are featured; many works being from hundreds of years before 1700. The buildings then proceed to feature works from later periods until they reach the contemporary age. All the buildings have two floors; the upper level exclusively for paintings, while the lower is reserved for any other works other than paintings such as sculptures, decorative artwork, etc. Lastly, each individual building is segmented into multiple rooms. Each room displays pieces that originate from specific regions; Italy, France, etc.<\/p>\n
I interpret this layout as being representative of the museum’s mission to accurately educate the public about history and other regions of the world. To physically move through the buildings, with each passing building displaying art from a later and later period, is almost as if walking through history itself. Even more, passing through each room is like briefly visiting a foreign land. It creates an immersive experience for the visitor, as well as an uncomplicated and educational environment.<\/p>\n
In a sense, this could be a way of “making rational sense out of the world.” This may be in the pursuit of educating the general public in way that most anyone can understand. In this manner, the museum organizes itself just as an introductory textbook on world history might.<\/p>\n
An interesting way in which one could reorganize the Getty Center would be to begin the museum with contemporary works, working backwards in chronological order. Instead of creating a forward motion through history, people would be travelling backwards in time. Generating this perspective might, instead of viewing each period of art as innovative, cause the viewer to see each earlier period as archaic.<\/p>\n
They way in which a museum chooses to organize its exhibits creates a certain perspective for the visitor. This can be a powerful thing, ultimately shaping how the viewer with respond to the individual art pieces and the museum as a whole. Considering this, I believe one should not take the task of arranging a museum and its objects lightly. Museums have the ability to significantly impact its guests, for which they will leave changed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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