Now on to the next item of business, in which is hall be writing physical descriptions of objects. One problems with doing an academic show is that the labels tend to discuss less of the composition and the appearance of the piece, and more about the importance of its form and materials, and how those illustrate the point we're trying to make. As a result, my next job is to write paragraphs on how the symbolism and composition of the objects do affect the meaning, such as why Lord Amherst looms over the Canton harbor in his portrait, which is likely to show the power that the British saw themselves as wielding over ther other nations, and their greater importance. This should take me through about Wednesday, and then I don't know what I'll be doing for the two remaining days.
It's interesting to have met with such success on my first attempt at label writing because it holds the potential to inflate my belief in my abilities. That sounds a bit egotistical, but still entirely true. However, the other side of the coin is that is that even when just discussing mundane points of the exhibit, philosophical theories such as Cosmopolitanism come up, which I have little to no exposure to, or else cultural theories and history that I am faintly aware of but does not lend itself to the high school history text book, and so I am not well acquainted with it. This mixture of experiences has left me with the distinct impression of having much to learn, obviously, but even having conversations today feels easier, and I feel more informed, than I did two weeks ago. Obviously, I have not even approached becoming a true art historian, but that's what college is for, right? The way I see it, I have started a process of thinking like an art historian, if only ever so slightly, and had a taste of my future. A glimpse that leaves me ready for more.
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