Reading 3

     In Ezra Shales’ essay “Where What’s Done Comes Undone (is a museum)” he talks about a “participatory authorship” which he feels is missing in the institution of a museum and achieved more readily in places such as flea markets, auctions, and homes.  He talks about his grandmother’s china, which was locked away for its protection not only limiting his admiration of the pieces but also “weakening the development of understanding”.  He was unable to fully understand the pieces in his grandmother’s china cabinet without holding them and using them in a formal ritualistic way in which they are intended. 

     In so many ways I agree with Shales; ceramic objects are so often made for use, they are made to be held and to interact directly with the body, and they do loose something when you can only look.  It is kind of sad that many people never get the experience of holding a hand made ceramic cup, but I appreciate the museums ability to give such a wide spread introduction of art and ceramics. 

     I think that museums have purpose and opportunity in the display of ceramics, which is important, and worth sacrificing the ability to touch.  Museums reach a much wider audience than anyone’s home collection, or even a ceramic gallery has the ability to.  Not very many people have an upstairs neighbor, like Shales did, that will introduce them to ceramics as art; most people will get this education in a museum.  It is also important to recognize the age of most ceramic pieces in a museum.  They usually are historically significant, and have become representations of cultures that are no longer in existence.  I think for this reason, it is important to protect them and ensure that they will be around for future museum goers to view and learn from; and one way we do that is by restricting touch.    

     I think that it is true as Shales said that “our eyes move fast and don’t slow us down quite the way stroking an artifact can induce an attunement in breathing”.  Touch allows us to be more connected with an object and to notice more of its details.  Ideally we could all touch the artifacts in a museum, but as we can not I think it is the museums responsibility to help us slow down our eyes and connect through other strategies than touch. Hopefully the museum will be successful in creating a meaningful relationship between the art and its viewer without touch so that they may continue that relationship with ceramics they encounter outside of the museum.