USING MATERIAL CULTURE METHODS TO INTERPRET ART OBJECTS Works or objects of art reflect the times, places, and cultures in which they are produced. This is especially important to consider in studying objects from cultures that may be unfamiliar to us. According to Thomas Schlereth, "Material culture study attempts to explain why things were made, why they took the forms they did, and what social, functional, aesthetic, or symbolic needs they serve." While generally applied to historical studies, the material culture models discussed below can be applied to art objects to provide an increased understanding of their cultural context. Art is a product of culture, too! The Nine Models listed below are based on Schlereth's work and were introduced to me when I was in graduate school at the College of William and Mary/Colonial Williamsburg Museum Studies Program. I used them in history museums with decorative arts collections for seven years and then brought the Models with me to art museums. I have been particularly interested in issues of multiculturalism and the Models have worked very well with cultural art collections. Recently, I have begun using the Models with American paintings, prints and drawings. The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, which opens in October, has a large collection of regional art that reflects the land, society and politics of the Midwest. The Models have helped our docents and the students we have done outreach with to better understand the art. I have listed the Models below and have added some general sample questions that could be used with either cultural objects or visual arts. You may find that not all Models that will apply to every work. Nine Models Of Material Culture Interpretation Art Historical - This includes traditional aesthetics methods such as those outlined in Edmund Burke Feldman's Variety of Visual Experience, Discipline-Based Education, Broudy Aesthetic Scanning, etc. Symbolic - The role an object holds in society. Does this object /work serve a role in society - for example, does it have religious connotations? Does it connote power? Does it signify wealth? Are there parts of this work that have specific symbolic meanings? For example, what does a dove symbolize in a Christian painting? Peace. Cultural - The developmental characteristics of an object which can be related to a culture. Does this object have a style that is specific to a particular cultural group? How can you tell that this was made by a particular group of people? What are its unique characteristics? Recently we have looked at how the Regionalist artists reflected the cultural politics of the 1930s. Functional- The way the object is used. How did the person who made this object intend to be used? Is it used differently today? Is a religious painting hanging in a museum being used the same way the artist intended? Structuralist - How the object is made. What are the materials and tools used to create this object? Environmental - The role of the physical environment on works. Does what this object is made of reflect a certain part of the world? For example, an African mask might reflect the natural resources available to make it. Behaviorist - The interaction of the object and human behavior patterns. Is this work created to change people in some way? For example, many works by Regionalist artists were used as propaganda - a means of perpetuating the Midwestern work ethic. Community - The interaction of the object and society. How does this object fit within a community? Would everyone in a community view an object the same way? Does this reflect the views of the community? For example, one might investigate the role of the ancestor spirits living in African masks within the community. Social History - This is also known as the provenance or history of the object. Who made this object? Who owned it? Using the Models These models can be used in various ways. I have given younger students a set of questions that have been developed from the Models to help them investigate an unknown object such as the mask pictured here. I have had students "be the curator," using the Models as a guideline to interpreting the object. The Models also make excellent guidelines for expository writing assignments. Mask Analysis First, describe the mask so a blind person could visualize it What is this mask made out of? How was it made? What tools were used? Where does it come from? How old is it? How does it reflect place and time? What was the mask used for (ceremonial, theater, funerary, fun - be specific)? Who wore the mask(man/woman/child, profession, living/dead)? What sort of character would the masquerader become with the mask on? How was it worn (over the face, top of the head, not at all)? What sort of movements or noises might accompanying its wearing? What values might have been placed on the mask (monetary, power, status, religious)? Has the meaning/usage changed over time, either within or outside of the culture that created it? What personal association do you have with the mask? How does it make you feel? What does the mask tell you about the people who made it (lifestyles, beliefs, society, etc.)? If this were your mask, how would you use it? Artifacts and the American Past, Thomas J. Schlereth, American Association for State and Local History, Nashville, 1980, p. 3.