Against Taking Photos in Museums

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People should not take photographs in museums. This is me doing a 180 degree revision of my opinion. I mean, I myself take them and show them to you here. I think to limit cultural distribution is silly and that to take a flashless pictures of something in a museum can do nil amount of harm. I now know differently.

I now know that it is a scandalous practice detrimental to museums. On visits to the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the crowds so much as blown away by the number of people who only looked at the art through a camera lens. Pause, click, pause, click they walked through the museum documenting their trip meanwhile getting in my way, accidentally taking a photograph with flash, and generally showing little interest in the the art. They were more oblivious to the people around them as they tried to get a good shot.

Really, should photographs be allowed in museums at all? Do you take photographs? Does photography interfere with your enjoyment of art?

Ravels in Review May Day!

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It is the first of May, which means many beginnings, Spring, outdoor activities, my 26 day birthday countdown, and last but not least–that my parents are visiting me this weekend! Their visit came off to a good start, with the 10 course tasting menu at Degustation last night, or if not, they were too stuffed and pickled to complain. Despite vowing last night not to eat for the rest of the month (luckily last night was the last day of April), we have more eatings planned, some museum goings, and some theater. I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile what were we talking about this past week? Aside from a rather lame Monday, when I suffered from some of the less innocuous effects of summer, I talked about two gallery shows in Chelsea, Picasso at Gagosian being absolutely requisite (I hope to bring my mom tomorrow) and Louise Fishman being well-worth seeing, especially if you like textured, thickly-painted abstract canvases. I do. While you can’t actually go see the recent installation in the atrium of the Guggenheim by Ann Hamilton, you can see my video of her Human Carriage and the applause it generates.

We’ve also had some fun discussing the huge, new ArtPrize being offered and the populist way it’s being decided and a billboard takeover in New York City. This street warfare between advertisers and artists wasn’t entirely successful; I hear that most of the billboards have already been reclaimed and painted over by companies.