Beth Grossman, Artist in Residence at the de Young Museum in San Francisco
“At museums, the hand of the modern shakes the hand of the past.” — from a
San Francisco Chronicle article describing the de Young Museum, February 23,1896.
By transforming found objects with images and text I offer personal interpretations of history. My artwork highlights the role of the author in the telling of a story. Museums also interpret history, recounting prevailing historical perspectives through works of art. In this residency, I invite visitors to discover the narratives found in the de Young Museum’s collection. There are three sections to explore, The Copper Chronicles, A View of the Fair and Tracing History.
Beth in the Kimball Education Center Studio, de Young Museum
The Copper Chronicles
The colorful history of the de Young Museum inspired me to create The Copper Chronicles for this residency. During my research in the de Young Museum archives, I learned that the seeds for the development of the de Young were a collection of “treasures and curios” on exhibit at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. I was moved by reading M.H. de Young’s personal story of developing the original Park Museum following the exposition.
After the fair, M.H. de Young, a good businessman and civic leader, wanted to place San Francisco among other great cities that have world-class museums in public parks. As the owner of the San Francisco Chronicle, he was able to garner support and called for public contributions of “treasures and curios for the entertainment and instruction of the people of California.” He rewarded donations by publishing names and gifts in the Chronicle. The museum was becoming a collection of “found objects” and risked becoming “San Francisco’s attic” if not for Dr. Walter Heil, the curator, who tactfully refused keepsakes and household bric-a-brac.
Working with Chronicle newspaper clippings from turn-of-the-20th-century scrapbooks, I found illustrations of many of the donations to the museum and acquisitions. Inspired by a quote from the Chronicle which stated, “At museums, the hand of the modern shakes the hand of the past,” I created this copper panel collage interpreting objects from the original collection as a contemporary work of art. I combine the ancient metalworking techniques of repoussé and chasing with copper, which is the defining material of the new de Young building.
Installation of participants’ copper tooling at the de Young Museum
Installation of participants’ copper tooling at the de Young Museum
Installation of participants’ copper tooling at the de Young Museum
A View of the Fair
A View of the Fair, a drawing on the studio window, is based on a photograph by Isaiah W. Taber and replicates the view that might have been seen from this window in 1894 during the California Midwinter International Exposition, the event that prefigured the de Young Museum.
Tracing History Interactive Art Project at the de Young Museum
Tracing History at the de Young Museum, 50 foot vellum participatory mural
Tracing History provided an opportunity to explore history as it is told through the de Young Museum's collection. Museum visitors joined in creating a narrative mural using images from the collection.
I selected images of 100 works of art and artifacts on view at the de Young Museum, based on several criteria: objects that represented different historical periods and art movements, subject matter appealing to a wide variety of interests, images that were traceable, and the artist’s aesthetic taste.
These were the instructions given to participants:
Choose an image of a museum artifact that intrigues you. All identifying text information has been removed. Place and trace the image with colored pencils on the vellum timeline wherever you imagine it belongs. Consider these questions as you develop your own story about this artwork or artifact. In this project, there are no right or wrong answers.
Where do you think this artwork or artifact came from?
In what period of history do you think it might have been created?
What might have been occurring historically at the time and place it was created?
Who might have made it?
What might their personal life have been like?
For what purpose do you think the object was made?
What can you speculate about this object’s journey through time? Look for identifying marks of use, age, transport, deterioration, and repair; all are clues to its history.
How do you think it came to the de Young?
As you create your own story about the artifact, you may also document it by including text on the vellum near your drawing. Your depiction will become part of a collective timeline mural, illustrating an invented version of the story of these objects and their role in history. Afterwards, you are invited to discover them in the museum to learn the de Young’s version of the story. You are welcome back to share what you have found.
Tracing History, 50 foot vellum mural
Tracing History, detail
Tracing History timeline project, tracing an image