Week #3 - Sarah Thornton

Sarah Thornton’s Seven Days in the Art World.

Chapter 6, the Studio Visit.

What do you think Sarah Thornton is trying to find out in her visits?

In this chapter Thornton meets with Takashi Murakami and visits his studio. She also talks to the curators and art dealers of Murakami's upcoming retrospective and understands how the work is produced and then set up for the show. She questions the roles and responsibilities of each person in this process and the hierarchies of the art world. Thornton has a background in anthropology and so she focuses on the people behind the work rather than the creation of the work. 

"Dealers are editors & 'conspirators'. We help determine what gets shown & how it gets shown, and we help put art in production." (Pg. 186)

What do you think Thornton hones in on or pays particular attention to?

Thornton pays particular attention to Murakami and his feelings towards the exhibition. She focuses on the cultural interactions between the Japanese and the Americans; the curators, dealers and the artists. This particular exhibition really highlights how global the art world is. Murakami has a studio in Japan and one in the U.S and this exhibition is happening in the U.S too. So there is a lot of extra challenges that come with setting it up. 

Do you think she is really interested in art or the people who make it happen?

I believe that Thornton is more interested in the process that goes into making the art works and then exhibiting them, rather than the people that make these works. There is so much work that goes into the set up of an exhibition and people do not see this side of the art world. Thornton comes into the experience with a fresh perspective and it's interesting to hear her story. 

"A studio isn't just a place where artist's make art, but a platform for negotiation and a stage for performance." (Pg.203)