1. The selection,placement,grouping,chromaticselection,andlightingof worksof arthave an effecton
the transmissionof arthistorical andcritical knowledgethatis,incertainways,equal tothat of labels
and otherformsof verbal information. Displaysof arttransforma culture’srelationshiptoart,providing
a lensthroughwhichinterpretationcanbe evaluatedphysically.
Thisstudyaimsto understandinstallationsinartmuseumsbychallengingthe ideathattheyare neutral
and byexamininginaselectgroupof case studieswaysinwhichprofessionallytrainedarchitectshave
impartednewenergyandideastoart museumsthroughmuseumdisplaysthattheydesignedandthe
cultural politicsexpressedthroughtheirinstallations.Bycomparingandcontrastingarchitects,whoeach
had differenttrainingand cultural-architectural contexts,thisdissertationwill examine how theirworkis
differentthanthose from varioustraditionsof museuminstallation.The focuswill be the installation
practicesof three architects:JohnYeon,JamesSpeyer,andLinaBo Bardi.These three figureswere
chosenbecause eachproducedasignificantbodyof well-documentedmuseuminstallationsintheir
architectural careers.AlthoughJohnYeon’sfascinationwithAsianArtandwithnature isanalogouswith
Frank LloydWright’s,he maintainedadistinctivePacificNorthweststyle separatefromthe prairie style
of Wright.JamesSpeyer’saestheticsechoedMiesvanderRohe,hismentor.Like Mies,he workedwith
openspacesand unadulteratedmaterials,buthisstyle wasinimitablyhisown.BoBardi,too,adheredto
the modernistdictatesandworkedwithvastopenspaces,butwithadidacticintent.Heranarcho-
communistpoliticswereembeddedinhermuseumwork.WhileYeonandSpeyerwere wealthy
architect-collectorswhomade installationsthatsuggestprivate luxury,BoBardi’sworkwashighly
politicized.Heraudiencewasnotconnoisseurs,but“the people.”