Experiencing an Art Museum: A Formal and Contextual Analysis of Museum Visitor Experience in Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs
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2024-09-25
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en
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The two phenomena of proliferation of the large-scale art photography and innovations in museum studies that occurred simultaneously during the late 20th century evoked the exploration of Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs. The research Experiencing an Art Museum: A Formal and Contextual Analysis of Museum Visitor Experience in Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs scrutinises the series in the context of the late 20th-century and early 21st-century changes in art museums. Moreover, it analyses the technique Struth uses to comment on variables that affect the experience of museum visitors. Namely, the light, colour, angle, scale, framing, focus, and composition are looked at in detail. The variables of building, exhibit, artworks and audiences according to the American cultural policy expert Eleonora Redaelli influence the museum visitor experience. Therefore, these are explored in depth when analysing the formal qualities of Struth’s photographs and answering the main research question: How is the art museum visitor experience represented in the series Museum Photographs by Thomas Struth?
The formal and contextual analysis shows that four types of museum experience are represented in Museum Photographs: an out-of-context museum visitor experience related to the aspect of a building and religious artworks, a crowded museum visitor experience visible through looking at the variable of an exhibit, an experience of connection or disconnection with artworks, and a middle-class museum visitor experience. These conclusions embedded in the theory of the history of art museums are accompanied by new insights the photographer comments on through his photography. Struth criticizes museums for not paying enough attention to the architecture of their buildings, suggesting that improved architectural design could enhance the connection between viewers and religious artworks. Moreover, he highlights how large crowds can diminish the relevance of artworks and the contemplative experience, making the event of a popular exhibition the main importance for the museums and their visitors. Museum Photographs hold a paradox of the connection or disconnection between a visitor and an artwork not being visually clear; both states can be present in the same photograph depending on how the formal aspects are interpreted. Finally, Struth’s photographs portray the diversity within the middle class which predominantly attends museums, challenging the notion that the middle class is a homogenous entity.
These findings indicate that museums which are experimenting with new technologies such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris with their virtual reality experiences should consider how crowd dynamics affect art perception and visitor engagement. Moreover, Struth’s approach serves as an example of how art photography can comment on and critique museum spaces. Future research could build on this by analysing all the photographs in Struth’s series to uncover deeper insights into his techniques and thematic explorations. Additionally, comparative studies of the work of other artists who have explored the subject of museums could reveal other factors that influence the museum visitor experience.
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