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Critical focus: study of an arts centre

Critical focus: study of an arts centre
Critical focus: study of an arts centre
Critical Focus: Study of an Arts Centre is a 15-minute, two-channel film documenting the everyday life of an art gallery during the exhibition installation period. It was made as part of a sociological investigation of skilled but invisible labour in the art gallery, such as that of gallery technicians. In addition to this focus on skilled labour, the film focuses on the atmospheres of the different spaces in and around the gallery, and the ways they are produced by different social actors. The accompanying essay introduces the context in which the film was made, as well as the theories that informed it. These include theories of atmosphere and skill, as well as the styles and practices of artists who make documentary-like work themselves. The essay also details choices that are both ethical and stylistic, such as the close angles, the focus on material and architectural textures, and a focus on hands rather than faces.
art gallery, artists’ moving image, atmosphere, labour, visual methods
1360-7804
Harris, Laura
400fa14a-eb29-4d11-9377-97680f5401d4
Harris, Laura
400fa14a-eb29-4d11-9377-97680f5401d4

Harris, Laura (2024) Critical focus: study of an arts centre. Sociological Research Online. (doi:10.1177/13607804241239136).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Critical Focus: Study of an Arts Centre is a 15-minute, two-channel film documenting the everyday life of an art gallery during the exhibition installation period. It was made as part of a sociological investigation of skilled but invisible labour in the art gallery, such as that of gallery technicians. In addition to this focus on skilled labour, the film focuses on the atmospheres of the different spaces in and around the gallery, and the ways they are produced by different social actors. The accompanying essay introduces the context in which the film was made, as well as the theories that informed it. These include theories of atmosphere and skill, as well as the styles and practices of artists who make documentary-like work themselves. The essay also details choices that are both ethical and stylistic, such as the close angles, the focus on material and architectural textures, and a focus on hands rather than faces.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 7 August 2024
Keywords: art gallery, artists’ moving image, atmosphere, labour, visual methods

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 493803
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/493803
ISSN: 1360-7804
PURE UUID: a56235f5-c3ee-412b-8274-deb573f2ccf6
ORCID for Laura Harris: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9146-1168

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Sep 2024 17:22
Last modified: 13 Sep 2024 02:07

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Author: Laura Harris ORCID iD

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