The Art Historical Perspective of T.J. Clark's Curatorial Approach: Illustrated by the Exhibition "Lowry and Portraits of Modern Life"

Abstract

From T.J. Clark’s perspective, L.S.Lowry’s paintings are not as aesthetic, but as “investigative,” meaning to view the overall situation from a social perspective, which complicates the public’s understanding. In the exhibition “Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life”, Clark, starting from the method of social art history, actively promotes the integration of Lori’s work, exhibition narrative logic, and his artistic concepts into one, focusing on public space and class perspectives, providing a specific answer to “modernization” in this exhibition. Lowry focuses on the working class, which coincides with Clark’s fascination with modernity. As a curator, Clark elaborates on Lowry’s work from the perspective of social class. In the landscape of contemporary exhibitions, where participation in artistic practice, intervention, and publicness are important propositions in art curation, the profound insight into the social landscape and public consciousness is not only the responsibility of the exhibition but also the mission of the curator.

Presenters

Peixuan Lyu
Student, MFA, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life

KEYWORDS

T.J. Clark, L.S.Lowry, Method of social art history