Storytellers of Art Histories

The anthology "Storytellers of Art Histories" showcases the personal stories of art historians, curators, archivists, artists, and educators who are reshaping art histories. It emphasizes gender, race, class, sexuality, and transnationality, which are often marginalized in dominant art histories. The contributors offer diverse perspectives through various forms of storytelling, including letters, grant applications, pastiches, interviews, memoirs, manifestos, and apologies. The book aims to broaden the understanding of art history and its connections to other fields, such as curatorial studies. It will be valuable for artists, art historians, archivists, curators, and educators, particularly those involved in undergraduate courses in art history, contemporary art history, and curatorial and museum studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 14 January 2022
Publisher: Intellect Books

This anthology, titled "Storytellers of Art Histories," gives a voice to those who are reshaping art histories, encompassing not only art historians and curators but also archivists and artists. It particularly emphasizes the representation of gender, race (including Whiteness), class, sexuality, and transnationality, which are often marginalized in dominant art histories. Each contributor in this book offers short, often deeply personal, accounts of how they developed a passion for their practice.

A notable aspect of the collection is that there are twice as many contributions by women as by men. The contributors respond in diverse and captivating ways, appealing to both those deeply immersed in the field through their work and to those with a general interest in the field. The stories presented take various forms, including letters written to friends, revised grant applications, pastiches of image and text, children's fables, interviews, co-authored narratives, memoirs, manifestos, and apologies.

Several essays in the collection combine recollected early memories with scholarly research to trace the roots of the theories they explore through publishing, curating, and archival work. Many of the contributors embody overlapping cultural diasporas, highlighting the permeability of borders and challenging the field to understand itself as a product of regional art histories.

Collecting a range of narratives from different workplaces and disciplines speaks to our belief in the boundless potential of art histories that shape the stories we consume. "Storytellers of Art Histories" brings together the first-person narratives of an international group of art historians, curators, artists, and archivists, filling a significant gap in the literature. This book is a valuable contribution to the field and will be of interest to scholars, students, and anyone passionate about art and its historical narratives.

Dimension: 244 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789384277
Edition number: New ed