Geek Post: Wall text

Until I can muster up a review of Photolucida, I will share this great overview of the history of museum wall text. Yes, that's what I wrote, wall text. As a curator, I think about these things and write them (it can't get more geeky than that!). Over at Tyler Green's Modern Art Notes, he offers up the post "Where wall text came from" in response to the Jeff Wall exhibition at MoMA. Green notes that the show has a short introduction from Peter Galassi and simple individual titles. He also shares a link to a Flickr set of photos that capture bewildering wall text from a newly-renovated Glasgow gallery called the Kelvingrove. Wow...I must say, these astonishing blurbs seem to be written very quickly by an intern or by a performance or conceptual artist. You can read more about the museum's philosophy here. Nevertheless, I must say I still prefer what they dub "Victorian" museum writing to this. Here is a camera phone snap of one of the Kelvingrove texts:

They remind me a bit of the brilliant wall text from the Museum of Bad Art here in the Boston suburb of Dedham. If you haven't been to MOBA yet, get thee there!

Here are some of the standouts from the MOBA catalogue:

Can the swirling steam melt away the huge weight of George's corporate responsibilities? This pointillist piece is curious for meticulous attention to fine detail, such as the stitching around the edge of the towel, in contrast to the almost careless disregard for the subject's feet.
see the image here

Stirring in its portrayal of feline angst. Is Peter hungry or contemplating his place in a hungry world? The artist has evoked both hopelessness and glee with his irrational use of negative space.
see the image here

For those in the Boston area, MOBA is presenting their MOBA Rejection Collection Auction, this coming Monday, April 23. Check out the catalogue online here. Car pool anyone?