Travis Nygard is an art historian who recently finished his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh and a co-president of the Radical Art Caucus of the College Art Association--a group that focuses on oppression, labor, and social change in art. "I consider my primary area of expertise to be modern art and visual culture, given that my dissertation was on Grant Wood's relationship to agribusiness. I have also published on ancient Maya art, and I am planning to continue working in the field of Latin American art history. Although art historians by definition examine the past, the reason that the discipline is fascinating to me is that it allows us to look at issues which are living in contemporary society. Imagery can help us to understand, for example, how we grow and consume our food, how cultures interact, and how racial identity is constructed."
Nygard's Posts:
2 December 2010 | Americas, Current Events, Film, Modern, Museums
The National Portrait Gallery’s innovative exhibition of images of and by queer people in America, HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, is becoming controversial. The exhibit was altered by pulling a video by David Wojnarowicz and it may close before the scheduled date. The story has been picked up by The Washington Post as well [...]
22 June 2010 | Uncategorized
Sir Adam Roberts of the British Academy has issued a report titled Past, Present and Future: The Public Value of the Humanities and Social Sciences that is sure to be useful for art historians wishing to bolster the credibility of our discipline. As was discussed in Art History Today, the report emphasizes “public” rather than [...]
19 May 2010 | Americas, Architecture, Awards, Books, Modern, Museums, News
The Smithsonian American Art Museum has announced that it awarded the annual Eldredge Prize to Kirk Savage for his book Monument Wars. I should disclose that I am far from impartial on this topic–Savage was my advisor in graduate school. That said, I think that his book is notable as a model for future scholarship. Rather than framing the official monuments, [...]
12 May 2010 | Books, Modern, Renaissance, Theory
I am fascinated by the systems through which art is deemed legitimate, and I taught a course on fakes and frauds this past January. The premise was that we can learn about how art is produced, controlled, and valued by focusing on taboo objects. Sometimes such scrutiny will result in a reattribution, such as the one [...]
2 May 2010 | Journals
I am fascinated by the state of publishing right now, as we are witnessing extreme polarization of access to information. Kelly just mentioned McGill University’s new journal SEACHANGE, which is part of the Open Access Movement. Free for all. No subscription needed. Instant online access. More such journals are popping up all the time. The University [...]
