Arts
Adventures of the optic nerve
This year the British Academy celebrates its centenary as
the national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. To
commemorate this, a series of nine lectures covering the disciplines
represented by the Academy will be held across the UK.
The University will be hosting one of these lectures, in the field of
art history, which will be given by Dr John Elderfield, Chief
Curator-at-Large at The Museum of Modern Art, New York and co-curator of
the recent Matisse Picasso exhibition at the Tate, the most successful
exhibition in the Gallery's history.
Entitled, 'The adventures of the optic nerve', Dr Elderfield's lecture
will concentrate on modern art and on an approach to it that privileges
the visual medium involved. Beginning with the transformation of British
art history from a connoisseur's pursuit into an academic discipline, Dr
Elderfield will explore the capacity of art historical language to
represent a visual practice. He will consider the responsibilities of the
art historical beholder, with respect to modern objects that have become,
or are becoming, distant to us. Finally he will consider the capability of
modern histories to accommodate objects that are other to us - not only
because they are of the past but because they are not normally situated in
modern histories. He will argue that the history of art, as the meaningful
elucidation of historical visual practice, is a discipline neither for the
mind alone, nor only for eye and mind, but for eye, mind, and imagination.
'The Adventure of the optic nerve' by Dr John Elderfield will be
held on Tuesday 12 November in LTB6 at 6.30pm. Drinks from 6pm. Admission
is free.
Reflections: The Fruits of Experience
A collection of works by local artist, and former Essex
lecturer, John Nash, goes on show at the University Gallery this month.
Artist John Nash at work
Reflections: The Fruits of Experience opens on 19 November
and will run until 14 December. Admission is free and the opening times
are as follows: Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm, and Saturday 1pm to 4.30pm.
Also in the printed November edition of Wyvern:
- Lakeside plays
- Charter Hall concert
