The Museum of Modern Art as Late Capitalistic Ritual: An Iconographic Analysis, Carol Duncan and Alan Wallach

Museum Highlights: A Gallery Talk, Performance Script, Andrea Fraser, 1989

May I Help You, Performance Script, Andrea Fraser, 1991

Taking a critical look at the implantation and construction of museums from an exterior perspective, Andrea Fraser’s performance “Museum Highlights: A Gallery Talk” imitates the value structure and ideologies that go into the prefabrication of constructing an “Art Museum”. Poking fun at the value structure is only one aspect of Fraser’s piece. As seen within the writings of “The Museum Of Modern Art As Last Capitalist Ritual: An Iconographic Analysis” museums are set up with predetermined values, ideologies and beliefs. Many of which, stem from the view of art as a “mystical entity”, a soul search for the audience for “individuality”, “high culture” and “class”. The creation of art goes beyond its original function as an “art object”, and communicates to the viewer unintended ideologies that the artist may have never anticipated. Fraser uses this to her advantage on her faux-guided tour. She examines pieces of art my insincerely describing only physical, aesthetic aspects of the art. Constantly using phrases such as: “Resplendently….amazing flawless… sumptuous…This figuresis among the finest and most beautiful creations….An image of exceptional rhythm and fluidity..” Fraser leads the public through a museum as a “tour guide,” she then instills upon the public the ideology set-up by the museum’s layout. Fraser plays with this belief system, exaggerating the decrepit state of the “poor”, “classless”, and “dirty”; who are uneducated, un-couth and outside of the museum walls. Those who are blatantly unable to ascertain the dimensions of art and its meaning, because they are not organized like that of the museum, they are not clean and sturdy like the layout of the museum. She inserts the belief system of the “upper-class” by insinuating the organization and cleanliness of the building structure itself. Between both writings there is a sense of astute critical snobbery, on all parts of the museums culture from “members of museums”, the “art directors” and “board members”, all who have the power to weigh in what is important and what is not. It is within this totalitarian set-up that assumption of power occurs from within these fortressed frames. What is created to educate and “culture” the masses has similar effects of religious shrines or ornamental churches. Viewed as a window of access, to invigorate the “norms” of society each museum promises something out of the ordinary, out of the reach of the “mundane”. To conclude the museum set-up is an opposing force to the art that is housed within its own walls. It is up to artist to further the conscious thought and not leave it up to the corporate bias’s of members of the board.