Getting off the Rollercoaster!

 Having submitted my final paper and presentation today, it truly feels like I am in the midst of getting off of a rollercoaster-- and I'm a bit sad that it's over! This has been such a wild ride, with forming an idea that has essentially been alive and evolving since I thought of it, and going to Brooklyn, which was an experience I am forever grateful for. As a result of this project, I have learned so much about KAWS and about myself, and what I am capable of. With my undergraduate studies coming to a close, it all feels very bittersweet, and as I move onto new adventures in the future, I will always remember what the Museum Studies program has given me.

Here is a quote from Michelangelo that I saw the other day:

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. ”

While I am in no way comparing my thesis to the masterpieces of Michelangelo, I definitely feel as though I accomplished carving my vision from the marble it was hidden within.

Phew!

 Having submitted my full draft last week, I can now look back and really evaluate the process of how I reached this point. Thinking of August and September of last year, I remember wanting to write something about the Impressionists and their effect on Art History, but I also knew that I should step out of my comfort zone, and expose myself to new ideas and works. Moving into the world of contemporary art (and KAWS) was really different for me, and I definitely had to adjust my thinking, but I am so excited about the opportunities and lessons my research has given me.

In terms of moving forward, I am looking forward to the final adjustments and tweaks that I will make to the final thesis, and also to finalizing my video presentation. While this is all very exciting, I do realize that my time in the Museum Studies program is coming to a close, making everything very bittersweet. Having said that, I will do my best to fully take in the next three and a half weeks, and if I'm lucky, I may even think of a title for my thesis!

So Close, Yet So Far Away

I think that we, as a class, have reached the point where it is time to simply put our heads down and really work toward the finish line. Hearing about everyone's topics, and how they are coming together and concluding, has been really exciting, and I am really looking forward to hearing and seeing the end results. Especially since we are navigating the new pre-recorded video presentation format, I believe it is important that the six of us keep supporting each other, and working together to succeed in such a new process. 

In terms of my personal progress, I am at the point where I know exactly what I have to do, and I must simply push myself to do it. Reaching such a crucial point is a bit intimidating because the time to make changes is coming to an end, and I must ensure that the work I have completed is the work I want to put forward for submission. Additionally, I find the upcoming formatting edits especially intimidating, as they are so tedious, and I am forever worried about missing small details! 

Overall, I think I am in a great place, and I just need to make the final push!

Getting Closer!

 After writing the second draft of 8 pages for my thesis, I am feeling much more confident about my research in a way that I did not expect. Having spent so much time studying KAWS' career, it was both challenging and refreshing to then shift into researching the Brooklyn Museum, in addition to the legacy of street art in the borough as a whole. I had not initially planned on including such material, but after speaking with Dr. DeRoo, it was determined that in exploring the location of the KAWS: WHAT PARTY exhibition, my research would become far more grounded and focused. 

As the borough of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Museum of Art both have such rich histories, I have realized the importance of learning more about their respective relationships with street art, and how this may have led to a collaboration with KAWS. There exists a very interesting contradiction in the fact that the museum has touted the artist as a lifelong member of their tightly knit community, and how he also carries such star power in his growing fame and corporate sponsorships. I am very intrigued by this notion of the complexities of the relationship that has formed between the artist and the institution, and have started to question the original grounding of the collaboration (local artist vs. pop culture sensation), and what it has now grown into.

While I have many questions, I imagine some will be answered this weekend, when I visit the exhibition myself!

First Draft in the Books!

       As I initially prepared for my Thesis Board Meeting, I was very hesitant to write anything in advance, as I felt that I did not yet have an idea that was focused enough. While I have spent so long learning about KAWS, I knew that this knowledge and my own personal fascinations had not yet come to form a solid foundation for any further writing. As luck would have it, these reservations were put to rest once the day of my meeting came and Dr. Lent, Dr. DeRoo, and Dr. Schroeder took the time to patiently flesh out various ideas with me, until we settled on the best choice.

    Discovered during our discussion, was the fact that the Brooklyn Museum of Art will be holding a KAWS retrospective, entitled KAWS: WHAT PARTY, beginning on February 25th. This exhibition is so important, as it will allow me to focus my thoughts on KAWS' relationship with museums, and see how the two parties represent each other. This idea relates back to the initial example I had formed in September of last year, but it is now far more nuanced with a particular focus on KAWS and his connections with cultural institutions. 

    With my trip planned, and the anticipation building, a recent meeting with Dr. DeRoo pointed me in the direction of additional topics to write about in advance of my travels. I am very excited to write about these topics, as they relate to the idea of "the artist's persona," as well as to the history of the Brooklyn Museum of Art- in connection with street art and the recent trend of gentrification in Brooklyn. Through writing additional sections on these ideas, I believe my visit to the exhibition will be much more informed, and will allow me to ask even more questions.

***Fun Fact- The exhibit is sponsored by Dior, which further emphasizes the impact of KAWS' work with fashion brands!

Jumping Right In

 As the Spring semester continues to gain speed, it has become very apparent that I am nervous to start writing the next chunk of my Thesis. Following the break, I feel as though I have become so knowledgeable of KAWS' career evolution, and yet I am still hesitant to make a strong statement and move forward with it. There are so many aspects of KAWS' rise to fame that interest me, and I think that this may be the reason why I am struggling so much to narrow it down- if it was up to me, I would try to write about everything. Since this is not feasible, I must now focus on the parts that interest me the most, and allow my newly found passion for this topic to propel me forward. This passion centers on the ways in which KAWS utilizes social media and brand collaborations in an effort to expand his following and reach broader audiences. This ever-growing audience has aided KAWS in becoming more and more famous as time goes on, and has also cemented his status as an emerging figure in pop-culture. For me, the most interesting phenomenon to be drawn from this, is the fact that the growth of KAWS required little to no intervention by cultural institutions- implying that they may no longer be necessary for an artist's fame to grow.

With this perspective in mind, I can continue to narrow my thoughts and move forward in the writing process....hopefully forming my ideas in a manner consistent with how they are currently residing in my mind.

Thinking Ahead to Winter Break

 While it seems impossible, my Thesis Proposal has been submitted, and I must now begin to prepare for how I can build upon my ideas over Winter Break. To begin, I will focus a large portion of my time on reading the wonderful resources provided to me by both my Primary and Secondary Advisors. Through these readings, I hope to learn more about the world of social media, and its multiple applications, in combination with how artists specifically use the various platforms. As I have devoted most of my time throughout the semester to learning about KAWS, I now understand the importance of understanding and learning more about the broader concepts of my topic- outside of my singular case study. In addition to these readings, I plan to continue to follow KAWS and his work through social media to ensure that I am aware of any components that may strengthen my Thesis.

Since this Winter Break will be longer than in previous years, I plan to set aside time each week to focus on my readings, and for further research I may conduct as a result. While I will set this time aside each week, I will also take time to step away from my project for a few days at a time, as I usually benefit from time away from projects as it allows me to think more clearly about where I wish to go. Through this balance of time spent focused on my project, and time spent away, I hope to emerge from Winter Break with a stronger argument and more fully-enriched research.

Thank you to everyone for such a great semester!

Where I Am & Where I Am Going

When I initially began the research for my thesis, I was focused on bringing together the disparate details of KAWS' career, the influence of social media, and the relationships that are formed between museums and street artists. These ideas are still at the center of my research, but I believe that other components must be evaluated as well. 

Rather than viewing museums as and end-goal brought to fruition by an increased following, I believe it would be of more value to evaluate how an artist's following can bolster their career in multiple ways- or how they can broaden their following through other artistic avenues. As opposed to perceiving the museum space as a symbol of an artist's success, it is important to realize that brand partnerships/collaborations, different mediums of work, and a social media presence serve to enhance an artist's reach- in addition to recognition by a formal cultural institution. Instead of viewing the museum as the culmination of an artist's work, KAWS has prompted me to view this as one piece in a much larger puzzle, as his career continues strongly through many other facets of creation. Overall, I have come to believe that there are many more intricate interplays between an artist and their following (including what the following allows for), rather than simply between an artist and the museum. 

What I am Learning and Where I Would Like to Go

     As I have delved deeper into the multiple topics that will come together to create my final thesis proposal of how street art and museums interact, I have learned many of the intricacies of KAWS' early career, and his work with famous fashion brands. Beginning as Brian Donnelly, the artist eventually adopted KAWS as his artistic moniker based on the aesthetic value of the letters when painted together. Through the application of this tag throughout New Jersey and New York City, Brian Donnelly began to fully embody the persona of his artistic alter ego. Continuing with the beginning of his career, one of my favorite facts that I have learned so far is that a classmate at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, gifted Brian Donnelly with a key to open the menagerie of advertisement cases spread throughout the city. If this gift had never been given, KAWS may have not been able to access the advertisements he is best known for, as a means of initiating "forceful collaborations." Another interesting fact to note is the idea that Brian Donnelly did not intend for his career to be considered anti-establishment or rebellious, he simply wanted to use his abilities to alter and enhance advertisements that he considered to be fresh canvases. Through understanding KAWS' beginnings and views, it will enable me to write a more well-rounded paper, and view his career in a manner more closely aligned with his intentions.

    While I have completed a large amount of research on the beginning of KAWS' career, there is still much to be learned about him, as his influence has infiltrated international markets, and spawned many professional collaborations. Additionally, I will need to research the impacts of a large social media following, and how this vast group of supporters may affect, or be affected, by the ever-evolving art market. Through understanding how these various factors interact, I will be be better prepared to assess KAWS' relationship with museums- and the traditional values they imply. More specifically, I hope to examine the various celebrities who function as "influencers" for the work of KAWS, and also, how a large fanbase may influence the choices of museums as they seek to turn a profit and increase annual visitors. This following, and their impact on museums, will be further expanded upon as my research into KAWS' relationship with Japanese markets and the inclusion of statues and miniatures has altered the trajectory of his original street art path. While there may appear to be many disparate pieces presented, when combined, these elements will tell the story of KAWS' career, and how his influence has permeated even the most formal of institutions.

Further Understanding Art Museums

 As I have continued to ponder the different ways in which I can research art museums, I have shifted from looking at the history of the institution, to the complex relationships between museum and artist. Using the Impressionists as an example, this group was so ignored by the French Academy that they eventually held their own Salons, creating a new type of "museum" experience. While this remained the norm for a short time, artists considered to be controversial eventually found their way back into the museum space. It is this point that I intend to delve further into as I am curious to understand the intricacies of a relationship dependent on an institution and an individual coming together. As an art museum must continue to generate income, they must consider the fact that the public may wish to see art by those who have opposed the institution in the past- meaning that concessions must be made. 

While there is much to talk about within this subject, it is the idea of what and how these two parties concede to each other that is of great interest to me. Will a museum be judged for inviting an artist considered "controversial" to its members? Will the artist be considered a "sell-out" for showing their work within a formal institution? It is these relationships and real life examples that I hope to examine and reflect upon, as a way to understand these give-and-take scenarios.

Research Question: I want to study institutional showings of controversial artists, to find out how they interact with the art museum, so I can help others to understand the intricacies of the relationship between both parties, and how each must concede to the other.

My Topic Idea

 Hello!

As we have gotten deeper into the semester and discussed possible thesis focuses, I believe I have started to form the basis of what I want to write about. Due to my continued interest in art history and art museums, I have chosen to focus on how the art museums of contemporary society have come to be. Stemming from the private collections of the wealthy, the earliest art exhibitions were available only to those with the status or wealth to engage with the collection's owner. From this point, the notion of the French Academy rose to prominence, and public exhibitions were sanctioned by the elite in conjunction with governmental forces.

While this manner of exhibiting artwork became the norm for many years, many artists became frustrated and began to rebel. Staging their own exhibitions, the Impressionists became the most well-known group to reject the traditional French ideals of exhibiting artwork, After so many years of being shown in the Salon des Refusés, the Impressionists worked to show that their work deserved the recognition received by other artists working in the classical tradition. From this uprising against societal norms, the Impressionists were able to hold their own Salons (eight in total), and normalize the idea that there is more than one acceptable version of art.

While this is a very pared down summary of all that took place leading up to the shift within cultural institutions, it is the framework for how I will further my ideas. While the Impressionists worked to show their art to a society hesitant to accept them, their influence aided in reaching the types of art museums we visit today. When visiting a modern museum and seeing the various types of work, one may not realize the history that allowed us to enjoy such an experience.

Introduction to Me!

 Hello, my name is Courtney Barber and I am a fourth-year Museum Studies major. I have always been interested in the arts, and spent much of my childhood drawing, and playing different sorts of theatrical games. This growing interest in everything artistic was fully recognized during an Art History survey course in my first semester at Monroe Community College. While I had always thought that art was beautiful, this was my first introduction to the professional field of the Humanities, and more specifically, museums. 

    From this point, I was able to complete my Associate's Degree in Fine Arts, and transferred into the Museum Studies program at RIT. After reaching RIT, I have been given many generous opportunities to work alongside museum professionals at both the George Eastman Museum and Genesee Country Village and Museum. While working with both of these institutions, I have maintained my interest in collecting and preserving artwork of the past, while also realizing a new interest in architecture. As I continue through my education and learn more about the field of museums, I hope to continue working alongside both objects and architectural structures- as their combined impact is all-encompassing.

                                  (Genesee Country Village & Museum, 2020)