Approaches To Liberal Studies: The Overexposed Museum By Eric Gibson

Israel Crump
Dr. Keith Gumery
Approaches to Liberal Studies
29, January, 2023
The Museum LensIt
It is often stated that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but has the un parting presence of smartphone photography dislodged museum audiences from the cultural art experiences? In Eric Gibson’s article, “The Overexposed Museum”, Gibson explores an absence of reverence and and robbery of the artistic cultural experience in museums (Gibson 19). The clear culprit and antagonist in the article is the overwhelming increase and culture of smartphone photography that has now been welcomed and encouraged in museums across the world. In the opening of this disposition the reader is presented with the transactional relationship between smartphone photography and museum audiences. Museum hash tag portrait centered advertisements have successfully served in the increase audience attendances and the dismantling preconceived notions of “patrician elitism .” However, Gibson calls museum officials to access the implications of smartphone technology in the museum

Gibson states that the onus of this self centered atmosphere should not be placed on the public as visitors are simply “ responding to conditions around them (Gibson 21)”. Viewers are not connecting with the artist any more, they’ve abandoned deep contemplation and immersion. This robbery of experience here degrades museums, and the works they hold, to an item checked off a to do list, absent of emotion. Audiences are not longer present, forming emotional connections, or being encouraged in to deep contemplation of art.According to Gibson smartphone photography has reduced museums to a mere reveered selfie backdrop. throws and imbalance in the a transactional relationship of smartphone and decreases the likelihood of attendees