Tools of the Trade: Symposium Recap
Sarah Henzlik
Citation: Henzlik, Sarah. “Tools of the Trade: Symposium Recap” The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture, December 9, 2022.
On November 19th, 2022, CMSMC held our third annual fall symposium, Tools of the Trade. After opening remarks by CMSMC Operations Director and co-founder, MaryKate Smolenski, our first speaker was Colton Klein. As part of his research on “Under Ultraviolet: Questions of Materiality in Grant Wood’s Portrait of Nan,” Klein discussed how auction houses such as Sotheby’s contribute to material culture research through condition assessments and UV light analysis. Klein’s presentation considered how assessments of this kind can pose ethical and legal questions in terms of item authenticity, conditions of sale, and exhibition practices. Klein earned an MA in Art History program at Columbia University where he focused on American visual culture from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries with interest in materiality, ecocriticism, and affect theory. Currently, Klein serves as Curatorial Research Assistant, Prewar Art at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Carla Ayukawa was the symposium’s second speaker. Her presentation, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Non-sighted ways towards richer object examinations” highlighted her work with individuals with congenital and early-onset blindness and how interpreting objects from a non-ocularcentric narrative can spark discussion among those working in cultural heritage management to expand the repertoire of interpretive methods in and out of museum gallery spaces. Ayukawa holds a master’s degree in design from Carleton University, Ottawa, and currently focuses her work on accessibility and inclusive media.
The next presenter, Nicholas Purgett, examined Murasaki Shikibu’s Illustrated Handscrolls of the Tale of Genji. In a paper titled, “‘On paper red enough to set his face aglow’: Materiality and the Genji Monogatari Emaki,” Purgett analyzed the significance of the materials used to create the handscrolls and what these materials can tell us about the society in which the piece was created. Purgett earned an MA in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently pursing a PhD with a focus on Japanese art at the same institution.
What if the “tool” in question is an artist’s body? Alejandra Velazquez’s presentation, “Rebodying Stereotypes: Contemporary Indigenous Artists and the Body” considers the work of James Luna, a performance artist and photographer, and Wendy Redstar, a multimedia artist, and how they use their art as a means to take control of the narrative and portray their own cultural identity by reframing the stereotypes. Velezquez earned an MA in Art History from The George Washington University and currently serves as Cataloguer and Researcher for THINKFOODGROUP LLC.
The penultimate speaker was Olushola Olajobi and his presentation "Rethinking Museums and Waste in Conserving Material Culture through the Waste Museum Concept.” As a conceptual artist and independent art history scholar, Olajobi’s presentation discussed Nigeria’s Waste Museum work to collect, preserve, and showcase artworks made from waste or upcycled materials, such as dishware, tiles, bottle covers, and soles of shoes. Olajobi is earning his MA in Art History from the University of Lagos.
To end our panel, CMSMC Symposium Committee Member Christine Staton introduced our Keynote Speaker Dori Miller, a contemporary artist, oil painter, and paper maker. Miller’s presentation, “Material Culture Tools of The Trade: A Maker's Perspective” offered insight into topics such as representing the unobserved, the visual language of the subconscious and sources of inspiration in the artist’s practice. Miller holds a Masters of Fine Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
At the conclusion of the panel presentations, the speakers participated in a question-and-answer session moderated by CMSMC Editor in Chief, Hope Gillespie. Conversation delved from tools we reach for everyday during our work (from smartphones to styluses, dictionaries to pens) to consideration of how we define what a “tool” is in the material culture field. Additionally, the panel discussed whether an object must serve a productive purpose to be considered a tool, or, on the contrary, if the object can be limiting. What happens when a tool becomes obsolete– where does one draw the line between safekeeping something as an artifact and discarding it as an afterthought?
We are grateful for the symposium’s insightful dialogue and look forward to continuing the conversation on all things material culture. Thank you to all who attended for your continued support! For those of you who were unable to attend, the following is a recap of the event. Additionally, please find a recording of the event on our website and YouTube channel.
Click here to subscribe to CMSMC’s newsletter and be the first-to-know about the next Call For Papers. Special thanks to our symposium committee: Peri Buch, Hope Gillespie, Sarah Henzlik, Mary Manfredi, Maille Radford, Sydney Sheehan, MaryKate Smolenski, Christine Staton, and Reb Xu. Please join us on March 4th for our next symposium, which will revisit our inaugural symposium topic History Should Make You Uncomfortable.