October 22, 2020

 

Behind every artwork or series of artworks, is an equal amount of work dedicated to orchestrating its presentation. Prepping the gallery space, packing and unpacking, installation and deinstallation, and condition reporting are but a few of the constant processes in the rotation of showing art. At their most successful, these processes are rendered invisible; those behind them becoming the phantom stagehands of the production. Jeffrey Abt has had not only a lengthy career in art creation, but also this other often invisible world of curation and exhibition. Abt’s work, in particular his Wandering Gallery Project, rather than residing in one sphere or the other, neatly displays both and makes visible what has been quietly hidden away to the average museum or gallery goer.

Part of the Wandering Gallery Project, Spiritual Mobility exhibits three works which all focus on singular church patrons standing near various altars. The title itself comes as somewhat cheeky with its emphasis on mobility within a group of works designed to be packed away and carried with ease. Spirituality in this case, perhaps abides by the same characteristics. Like the rest of the series, the two pencil drawings and painting are installed within the middle of three large wooden panels which fold neatly into an easily transportable case complete with screws and handles. The bottom panel features a map of the work’s location, a small booklet for comments, records, condition reports, and even instructions on how to open and pack away the work. Abt makes transparent every facet of the process, clueing the viewer in to the fastidious work done behind the scenes, and even the reactions of those who have viewed it prior. The effect is quite remarkable. While most artworks keep their history close and invisible, causing appreciators to rely on the storytelling of others to relay its past, Abt’s artwork bears its own history directly on its surface.

Jeffrey Abt received both his BFA and MA from Drake University. Prior to coming to teach painting and drawing at Wayne State University, Abt worked within the exhibitions and curatorial teams at Wichita Art Museum, the Special Collections Research Center of the University of Chicago as well as at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. Abt has also authored numerous acclaimed books including American Egyptologist: The Life of James Henry Breasted and the Creation of His Oriental Institute as well as his more recently published work, Valuing Detroit's Art Museum: A History of Fiscal Abandonment and Rescue.

Written by Samantha Hohmann

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