Conference on modern sculpture

Variable States: Intention, Appearance, and Interpretation in Modern
    Sculpture
An interdisciplinary conference focusing on issues of interpretation
    and meaning surrounding the variability of physical states in
    modern sculpture
Nasher Sculpture Center
Dallas, Texas
October 22-23, 2004

The Nasher Sculpture Center of Dallas, Texas, will host its first
conference on October 22 and 23, 2004.  This inaugural conference on
sculpture conservation and interpretation, entitled Variable States:
Intention, Appearance, and Interpretation in Modern Sculpture, will
be open to professional communities and the public by registration.

By bringing together the disciplines of conservation, history, and
criticism for a fruitful exchange of ideas and information, the
conference will explore the following issues:

    *   How multiple casts and mutable physical states influence
        perception and interpretation of a work's basic character
        and meaning

    *   Artistic intent toward change in a work's appearance

    *   Appropriate conservation in light of artistic intent and
        change

Invited speakers and panelists will explore these themes by means of
a small exhibition that has been specially organized to serve as the
basis for this conference, consisting of works by three artists:
Rodin, Age of Bronze; Giacometti, Bust of Diego; and Koons, Louis
XIV.

The sculptures in the exhibition will serve as the springboard for
dynamic, object-based examinations and discussions.  Combined with
prepared papers, close looking, and an interactive dialogue
representing multiple viewpoints, it is hoped that the conference
will yield new perspectives on the subjects involved and point
toward new areas for further research.

The conference will begin on Friday evening, October 22, with a
keynote lecture by art critic, best-selling author and New Yorker
writer Adam Gopnik. Immediately following the lecture, a reception
and viewing of the exhibition will be open to all conference
attendees.

Saturday's sessions will begin with two papers, from art historical
and conservation points of view, identifying central issues that
emerge from seeing the related objects together. These presentations
will be followed by a discussion in the gallery among a group of
specialists focusing very specifically on the works in the
exhibition. The gallery discussion will be projected into the
auditorium for the audience to hear and observe the exchange of
ideas.  After a break for lunch and exhibition viewing, Nasher
Sculpture Center director Steven Nash will lead a broader discussion
among those panelists and the audience.  The event will conclude at
5:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.

Participants

    Malcolm Baker
    Victoria and Albert Museum and University of Southern California

    Michael Brenson
    Independent critic

    Ruth Butler
    University of Massachusetts at Boston

    Penelope Curtis
    Henry Moore Institute

    Richard Deacon
    Artist

    Valerie Fletcher
    Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

    Andrew Lins
    Philadelphia Museum of Art

    Hanspeter Marty
    Kunsthaus Zurich

    Steven A. Nash
    Nasher Sculpture Center

    Derek Pullen
    Tate

    Robert Rosenblum
    New York University and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

    Joanna Rowntree
    Nasher Sculpture Center

    Joel Shapiro
    Artist

Registration:
Advance Registration (by Friday, October 8, 2004)

    Professional: $80
    Student: $50
    On-site or late registration (after October 8, 2004): $120

To register, please see <URL:http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org>
Click on "Conference"

This event both celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Nasher
Sculpture Center's opening and inaugurates what will be an ongoing
program of scholarly initiatives uniquely focused on sculpture.
Organized by the Nasher Sculpture Center and the J. Paul Getty
Museum, the conference is made possible through the generous support
of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Joanna Rowntree
Conservator
Nasher Sculpture Center
2001 Flora St
Dallas, TX 75201
214-242-5120
Fax: 214-242-5119


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:8
                 Distributed: Wednesday, July 21, 2004
                        Message Id: cdl-18-8-017
                                  ***