Comparing the Use of Objects as Narrative Devices in Art Exhibitions and Films - Essay Example

Telling Stories in Art Exhibiting and Film: Comparing the Use of Objects as Narrative Devices in Art Exhibitions and Films ) (Course Code) (Date Submitted) All types of creative showcasing aims to tell a story or give impetus to a dialogue of some kind. Whether it be a painting, a song, a performance or a sculpture, the presentation of these artistic pieces is perhaps just as important as the art itself. A song sung in the wrong context can negate the songs meaning much like the ineffective arrangement of a series of photographs can hinder the narrative arc of the series. In the context of both museum exhibitions and films, the presentation and arrangement of objects for the viewing of the audience is a process crucial to the successful portrayal of the art or film. For the museum curator, positioning and arranging exhibitions requires a highly considered placement of artistic objects in order to tell a story and provoke an idea exchange (Serota, 1986). Similarly, the film director must determine their mise-en-scene and use of objects on screen in order to effectively convey the story. Through the exhibitions ‘Poetry and Dreams’, and ‘Ahistorical Sounds’ and the films ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘The Queen’, this essay will explore the similarities in these mediums, in their use of objects to tell a story. Museum exhibitions are widely regarded as the medium through which art is known and seen by the masses. Greenberg (1996) explains that modern exhibitions are the principal site and method of the dialogue of artistic context, and it is here that meaning, signification and awareness is created, maintained and often even “deconstructed”. The role of the exhibition, and thus, the museum curator, is one of vital importance. As a series of artistic creations requires particular presentation and context in order to be as meaningful and provoking as possible, the nature of the exhibition is that of a crucial exercise in analysing and scrutinising each piece of art in the presence of other art, and the significance of location, chronology, style, genre, placement and lighting in terms of telling the story. These stories can by anything; the history of a genre, the evolution of an artist, the chronology of a series, the manifestations of a singular theme, the contrast of mediums – the stories can take on many purposes (Serota, 1986). The quantity and scope of exhibitions has changed over time and “museums and galleries such as the Tate in London and the Whitney in New York now display their permanent collections as a series of temporary exhibitions” (Greenberg, 1996). As audiences grow increasingly estranged from traditional art forms, approaches to display have changed dramatically as modern museums have strived to become more accessible to a new generation of audience (Barker, 1999). The Tate Modern, Britain’s National gallery of international modern art, “welcomes more visitors per annum than any other modern art gallery in the world” (TimlessLondonAttractions.com, 2012). The success of this museum lies not only in its superb collection but the way in which the gallery has arranged it’s exhibitions in order to appeal to a new audience. The ‘Poetry and Dream’ wing of the Tate modern is an example of how a considered variation on traditional artwork presentation can successfully tell a story using deliberate placement of objects. The wing tells the story of the development of Surrealism, from its origins to the artwork it subsequently inspired. But far from simply placing each object in chronological order so that the audience effectively ‘walks through’ the genre story from beginning to end, the wing has several components which are created to imbue a more visceral and significant walk through the wing. For example, at the very centre of the wing is a large room entirely devoted to Surrealism at its most recognisable. Offset from this, is a series of rooms and installations focusing on a variety of other artists who have been somehow influenced or affected by Surrealism. One of the first paintings visible to a visitor of this exhibition is that of De Chirico’s The Uncertainty of the Poet (Figure 1 below). Figure 1: De Chirico’s ‘The Uncertainty of the Poet’ – Introducing the audience to the Surrealism exhibition As this artist’s work influenced the Surrealists, it serves as an introductory piece to the genre. This is then followed by the presence of other artists of surrealism like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera - all of whose work can be viewed in the large room central to the exhibition. In this way, the exhibition can be said to be chronological, as it is assembled as a type of timeline, however, the curator has done this in a non-linear fashion. The navigation of the audience is not necessarily pre-established as there are several rooms and spaces off-shooting the heart of the wing, of which the audience has free reign to view in any way they choose. As discussed by Greenberg (1996), the trend toward ‘ahistorical’ exhibition which abounded during the 1980’s was an abandonment of more traditional chronological development. The object of this was to unveil associations between works of art from different eras, styles or genres. In this way, constraints and categorisations of style, artists, medium and themes were utterly negated which attempts to tell a story of a different kind. In placing objects of such contrasting premises and visuals adjacent to each other, the story is then one of a more abstract and interpretative context. For example, Harald Szeemann, the Swiss exhibition designer was an exponent of this trend which can be seen in his curated exhibition ‘Ahistorical Sounds’ presented at Boymans-van BeuningenMuseum of Rotterdam in the late 1980s (Greenberg, 1996). The objects used in this exhibition are notably diverse while the background is extremely light and visually muted. In trying to make a spatial dialogue, Szeemann placed sculptures as the centrepieces of each room, which were each surrounded by various other works of art which resonated these set pieces. The main room (see figure 2 below) was contrived to be an area of confusion for the viewer, while also appealing to creativity and the ideas of death and suffering. Breughel’s Tower of Babel and Beuys’s furniture pieces were placed in close proximity to each other to convey these ideas (Greenberg, 1996). The visual impact of such an arrangement, while perhaps not immediately apparent, was an attempt to induce a dialogue in the viewer between the artwork and the ideas they represented. Figure 2: ‘Ahistorical Sounds’ Exhibition by Szeemann, 1988 Much like the exhibitions discussed attempt to tell stories and convey meaning through the arrangement and presentation of artistic objects, so too does the film director employ objects as narrative devices in film. The use of objects, props and item placement in film is a device which is used to support the telling of stories and the portrayal of characters. “Instead of just dressing the set, the director must be savvy to fathom how objects may bear significance in a deeper level, while also emphasizing themes, creating meanings, and provoking thoughts” (Moura, 2012). Of the many examples of this, one of the earliest can be seen in the film ‘Citizen Kane’ directed by Orson Welles. Set amidst the newspaper publishing world of the US at the time, the movie tells the life story of the character Charles Kane, a publishing tycoon based on a real life individual. The story begins with the protagonist as an old man on his death bed, alone in his expensive mansion without family or friends. As he utters his last word, “Rosebud”, a journalist sets out on a journey of investigation to discover the meaning of Kane’s last word (Cook, 2004). The importance of this word becomes the premise of the film and it is only in the last scene that the audience is given insight into the meaning of the word. Rosebud refers to a sled that the protagonist had as a child, signifying the only time he was ever happy in his life. The presentation of the sled as an object on the screen, is then highly significant and meaningful as the director focuses in on this object with the name ‘rosebud’ towards the end of the film (see figures 3 and 4 below). Figure 3: The sled presented as a seemingly irrelevant object on screen. Figure 4: The focus on the word makes the object of the sled more meaningful Another example of the use of objects in film on a more supplementary level, can be seen in ‘The Queen’. Based upon real historical events, the film explores the events leading up to, and immediately after the tragic death of Diana Spencer, former Princess of Wales, in a car accident speculated to be as a result of media interference. The focus of the film however, is not the plot of the story nor even the tragedy. Instead, the film concentrates on Queen Elizabeth’s reaction and immediate behaviour following the death of Diana. It attempts to create a very specific portrait of the Queen as both a monarch and an emotional and flawed human being and the director makes use of objects and props to do this. The Queen is almost always seen alongside certain paraphernalia which one would typically associate with someone in her position. In the palace scenes, she is almost always situated and framed within the context of props and background features. For example, there is always either a desk, window, lamp and flowers or pictures, very visually evident beside her when she is shown in the palace. She is usually placed between two items, such as between a window and a table, and takes centre stage within the shot. Many props are also used as manifestations of the Queens discomfort at times of uncomfortable discussion. For example, she is often seen with a pen in hand, fidgeting with it and twisting it between her fingers as she grows uncomfortable with whatever is being said in her presence. This prop is used most effectively, when she is seen speaking to Blair on the phone as he informs her about the negative public reaction to her behaviour. As she speaks to him, she aligns a series of pens so that they are all strictly parallel to each other, for no reason. This serves to highlight the inner conflict and disruption she feels at the public outcry regarding her lack of displayed grief. The hot water bottle she clutches to her body in bedroom scenes also serve to convey her age and vulnerability. Another important prop used is newspapers, which also serve as a narrative device. Newspapers feature in the majority of the scenes, be it as background clutter or a focal point. Not only does this convey the extraordinary media influence and role within the story, but the headlines shown actually move the story along as they inform the viewer of events and developments (see figures 5 and 6 below). Figures 5 and 6: The character of the Queen is constantly associated with objects such as newspapers Both museum exhibitions and films make use of objects and object placement and context to help them to tell a story in some way. While art exhibitions rely on things such as placement, adjacency, chronology, style, genre and spatial dimensions to develop a narrative arc in conveying themes, historical events or stylistic evolutions, film directors also use objects and props as meaningful items carefully placed on screen in order to enhance meaning and character portrayal. References Barker, E. (1999) Contemporary Cultures of Display. London: Open University Cook, D. (2004). Orson Welles and the Modern Sound Film: A History of Narrative Film. W.W: Norton Company, Inc. Greenberg, R. Ed. (1996) Thinking about Exhibitions. London: Routledge Moura, G. (2012) Mise-en-Scene. Available at http://www.elementsofcinema.com/directing/mise-en-scene.html (Accessed 17 April 2012) Serota, N. (1986) Experience or Interpretation. London: Thames and Hudson. TimelessLondonAttractions.com (2012) Tate Modern. Available at: http://www.timeless-london-attractions.com/tate-modern.html (Accessed 10 May 2012) Read More