Museum Exhibit Analysis

Location 1:

WinCo. Bread Section. ~30 ft long, ~7' tall. Utilitarian context.

The wall of breads is divided by types and brands of bread. From left to right there are rolls, English Muffins, bagels, sliced breads of varying types, and buns. There is a massive selection. The packaging is uniform between brands of bread, and differs slightly between brands. The display is organized and clean. I'm overwhelmed by all the different products at first glance. It is evident thought went behind how to display the breads. It is displayed differently than all other products in the store. The sliced breads are all in slanted plastic trays in rows. Signs are placed around the breads advertising sales, and their prices are listed near them. The bread needs to be sold before a certain date, as they are perishable. In order to see the entire display, one must walk from one end to the other, as it's hard to look at all of it at once. Viewers can touch, hold and investigate breads through their transparent packaging. The meaning conveyed here is selection and ease. It's not frilly, showy, or complicated. It's easy to navigate and interpret. I think all decisions that went into making this display were based on the operations of the store and what has worked for them in other locations, and in grocery stores in general. No one questions whether the bread they are buying is bad. No one questions where it comes from, or what's in it. Price is the main concern behind preference in bread. If this display were placed almost anywhere else, the context would be different. The intended viewer is anyone who is willing to pay for bread. The installation is extremely effective for its purposes. It turns out probably hundreds of loaves a day.

Location 2:

Boise Art Museum. Stephen Knapp's Lightpaintings. Installed in the museum Oct 9, 2010 - May 17, 2010. Artistic context.

In the largest room in the Boise Art Museum, Stephen Knapp's lightpaintings cover the main wall on the right side. They are quite large. Lights are directed to colored pieces of glass, and the light scatters across the wall, sometimes onto more pieces of glass, on which they are scattered in a different direction. The colors on the wall cross and intersect with each other, making different combinations and patterns. The "paintings" created by the light are nonrepresentational. Viewers can view the entire installation at once, or approach it and look at it close up. I think Knapp is trying to make a point that light can be made into a type of sculpture. He doesn't use any backdrop except for white walls. It's all about the light and the color. The only thing Knapp seems restricted by is the size of the spaces he installs in. He took advantage of the largest wall in the museum. This could be placed in public, and I think it would still have the same effect on its viewers. The intended audience for its current setting are museum goers. I think the installation is very effective, namely because it's been extended to stay in the museum for another month, and I've already seen it three times.