Focus of Interpretation

Interpretation should begin with recognition of the visitor’s viewpoints and needs. Surveys indicate that the topics most helpful to most viewers are

• Subject (imagery, iconography, referents)
• Content (iconology, allegory, symbolism)
• Function (practical, symbolic, changes over time)
• Cultural and historical context
• Why the object is considered art and why it is in the museum
• Artist (own commentaries on work, own philosophy, pertinent biographical information)
• Technique (how produced)
• Economics (patronage, consumption)

Less helpful, although sometimes useful in particular areas of the museum, are

• Unsubstantiated assertions of aesthetic quality, comparative judgments, connoisseurship
• Stylistic development
• Discussions of art theory
• Lengthy artists’ biographies
• Provenance (list of owners)

The content should be generated by and germane to the objects. It should be substantive yet not overwhelm our visitors with unnecessary and irrelevant information. However, oversimplification and failure to answer visitors’ most pressing questions are obstacles to effective interpretation. Over simplification, for example, ultimately undercuts the museum’s aims because it stifles curiosity and implies a lack of respect for our audience.

Cultural Relativism

In an effort to avoid ethnocentric approaches that impede understanding of unfamiliar art, we will endeavor to apply consistent methods of interpretation to Western and non-Western cultures. Respect for diverse value systems should inform all our practices. First and foremost, the sequence and allocation of galleries themselves can demonstrate a commitment to a world view in which the European tradition is not the sole point of reference.
    Terminology is no less critical. We will maintain a consistent distinction between geographical and cultural identifiers. When identifying objects, ideals, materials, and so on, we will use such terms as “European American” and “Euro-American” and will seek non-Eurocentric terms to replace such labels as “pre-Columbian” and “Oriental.” Concrete examples and qualifiers, as well as comparisons (“X was current in Europe, while Y was the case in the Arab world”), will help our visitors construct frameworks in which works of art can be considered purposefully and their meanings apprehended.

Interpretive Diversity

Whatever the medium of interpretation, the “voice” of most museums, including ours, has consistently been authoritative and “objective.” Didactic materials with a presumably neutral tone convey a sense that the single perspective enunciated is indisputably true. At its worst, such a stance asserts the museum’s authority and the reader’s ignorance; at its best, it may just be boring. In fact, interpretation is fluid and subjective. It changes over time and can offer a variety of valid insights about a given object.
    By making use of the diversity of voices inside and outside the museum, we acknowledge the complexity of the interpretive process. For example, new interpretive approaches might include augmenting programming with presenters not affiliated with museums, using multiple labels (for a single object or group of objects) written from different perspectives, and identifying the authors of text panels. Audiences will become aware that there is no one authoritative interpretation on most issues and will be encouraged to engage in interpretation themselves. Such multi-vocal approaches will acknowledge the personal responses of our visitors and communicate our respect for our public.

Interpretation and the Primacy of the Object

A variety of interpretive means will help the broadest range of visitors experience art objects visually, emotionally, and intellectually. The Interpretive Media Table, included in this book, details the interpretive media to be used and their applications. Because the works of art must always remain paramount in our installations, these interpretive means will be used selectively. The visitor’s direct experience of the object is fundamental to the museum’s purpose, and the museum staff is unequivocally committed to facilitating that experience.