Name of Project Members
Tanner Bowman
Unifying Biological Concept /Theme – What is the biological concept around which you will organize your wunderkammer? Discuss a little bit how you plan to use the concept to connect and synthesize objects and aspects of the museum in an interesting, novel, informative, and potentially eye-opening way for visitors?
I would like to explore Preservation as my theme however, I need to get a full scope of the field museums collection before I really solidify this theme. It's a lot more overwhelming than the zoo but I think I would like to use that to my advantage when considering how or what I am designing for this project. I am very interested in how museums preserve their specimen, how preservation of people and objects has been around forever, and how an institution can preserve information (cultural and scientific) that could be lost. I want to answer why museums are important and focus on why The Field Museum is especially important.
Rationale for this Concept /Theme – Why are you interested in this theme? Why is this a meaningful natural history supplement to a museum experience? What will a museum-goer learn / experience / think about that they wouldn’t otherwise?
I am interested in this theme because I am personally more interested in the institutions, methods, and ideas than the natural history itself. It's important because natural history museums are a natural history themselves in a way. I want people to realize how important the museum is to us. I may include information about what happens behind the scenes too!
Media format of the project – What are the components in terms of text, diagrams, audio, video, etc that you will likely use and why? How will this be accessible to the general public.
I am thinking about doing a book, but I want to do something that speaks to preservation itself. I want my supplement to be something that the museum would consider so important that they would want to preserve it and add it to their collection. I don't know how feasible that will be... but I am thinking about it. Maybe only one book that must be preserved in a jar or certain condition or it will be lost forever. I'm even sort of thinking about how the visitor passes have Uv sensitive ink in them... Perhaps, the book will completely turn black if it is taken out of the museum...
Possible, specific items or components to include in your wunderkammer (so far)
-Fossils
-Mummies
-Volcanos
-Taxidermy
-Protective Animals
-Collectors
-Conservation efforts
-Display
-Textiles
-Protecting from the beetles
-Architecture
-The City
-Interior Architecture
-DNA
-Culture
I really like this theme- preservation is definitely a key thing to explore in a natural history museum. I also like the idea of something ephemeral, that the museum would want to add to their collection because of its importance/fragility.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you would do it, but the UV light suggestion would be great!
What if you made an object but put a coating of the preservation that the museum uses (if you can get a hold of it). I think that may be really neat- to use the same method that they do and it would be a great way to tie the project to the research involved in it.
Here is a little bit of information that may help you. Some stuff I have learned working at the museum.
ReplyDeleteMammals: Study skins
Alcohol Specimens (very few)
Skeletons
*both a skeleton and a skin can come from the same animal
Birds:
Study Skins
Skeletons
Alcohol Specimens
* You cannot make a skin AND a skeleton from the same bird, since the skull needs to stay in the skin. Therefore a curator must choose according to each specimen if it will be a more useful addition to the collection as a skin or a skeleton.
When specimens are put into the collection they are given an identification number. All parts of that animal in the collection bear that same id number, which can be used to access data on the specimen in the computer. For example, a squirrel's id number will be written on a tag on it's skin, on each of it's bones (in case the bones become separate) and in the frozen vial of tissue that may later be used for DNA analysis.
"study skins" refers to the way animals are taxidermied for the museum collection (not display). This form of taxidermy does not include posing the animal to be life like. It is more about preserving the skin then creating an illusion of life.
Reptiles, fish, and non-arthropod Invertebrates are all preserved in alcohol most of the time
Arthropods can usually be pinned and allowed to dry.
I hope that was helpful.
- Izzy
So much of what we are studying at the museum is behind the scenes. I really like that you are attempting to expose what we get to see in class to the public that attends the field museum. A lot of this is can be completely more fascinating than the exhibits themselves. My only concern is that you will have to find proper access to the information you need, although it should probably be possible.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanner
ReplyDeleteI think the theme of preservation is a rich one, but in this version of the proposal you seem to have largely moved away from biology and more towards museum/material conservation issues. So I think you need to think carefully how to still make this a BIOLOGICAL theme. I think this is very doable, especially considering how much they preserve is biological materially, or the threats are biological in nature (museum beetles, etc). So focus your above list according. The museum is big, so it will take a lot of thought!
As for the format, remember, this is a public outreach project, not a fine art one. Given that, I would put your energies to the pamphlet/book that is accessible to the public first, and any art object as very secondary.
I think the details Izzy provided you with are excellent, and especially for just giving the general context for just how in depth one can get. That means you really have to make some clear choices for the topics you want to address, and what level of detail to go into.
best,
ay
there's a lot you can do with this subject, so it will be easier to tell the direction you're going in once you narrow down your options. But the idea for a book that turns black in the sun/is ephemeral in some way is really interesting. It exemplifies the fragility of nature, in the way that things aren't around forever. It's also a funny subject since all the animals are dead, so i'm interesting to see how you approach conservation when theres nothing to keep alive in the museum.
ReplyDeleteA book is a really good format!
Good job yo!
Kaycee
This sounds great! The book would be terrific metaphor and i love that you were inspired by something as off topic as our visitor passes!! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think that makming those books may be pricey so i wonder what are other ways to do it... a book that can only be read under water or something? May be a little easier im not sure.