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As archaeologists unearth the past, they seek meaning or purpose for the objects they uncover by looking at the objects themselves and their archaeological context. Art historians, on the other hand, primarily focus on aesthetics, asking why a particular object stimulates our senses, and what that tells us about ourselves. From Ancient to Modern offers a lens for understanding ancient objects through the perspectives and processes of both archaeology and aesthetics, and, in so doing, illuminates the multiple layers of meaning that a single object can take on--sometimes simultaneously--over the course of its existence. This beautifully illustrated volume is the accompanying catalog for the exhibition at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and focuses on fifty objects from three iconic sites in the ancient Near East: Ur, Diyala, and Kish. The excavation, unique characteristics, and transformative journey of each object--from archaeological artifact to aesthetic item--are examined. Select contemporary artworks are also considered in the investigation of how ancient objects acquire meaning in the present day.
Contributors include Jennifer Chi, Lynn Grant, Jack Green, Holly Pittman, Karen Wilson, and Richard Zettler.
About the author
Jennifer Y. Chi is exhibitions director and chief curator at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. Pedro Azara is professor of aesthetics and the theory of art at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
Summary
As archaeologists unearth the past, they seek meaning or purpose for the objects they uncover by looking at the objects themselves and their archaeological context. Art historians, on the other hand, primarily focus on aesthetics, asking why a particular object stimulates our senses, and what that tells us about ourselves. From Ancient to Modern offers a lens for understanding ancient objects through the perspectives and processes of both archaeology and aesthetics, and, in so doing, illuminates the multiple layers of meaning that a single object can take on—sometimes simultaneously—over the course of its existence.
This beautifully illustrated volume is the accompanying catalog for the exhibition at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and focuses on fifty objects from three iconic sites in the ancient Near East: Ur, Diyala, and Kish. The excavation, unique characteristics, and transformative journey of each object—from archaeological artifact to aesthetic item—are examined. Select contemporary artworks are also considered in the investigation of how ancient objects acquire meaning in the present day.
Contributors include Kim Benzel, Jennifer Chi, Jean Evans, Lynn Grant, Jack Green, William Hafford, Marc Marin, Naomi Miller, Holly Pittman, Clemens Reichel, Karen Wilson, and Richard Zettler.
Cover photograph © Bruce M. White, 201?
Additional text
"Indispensable."---Ken Johnson, New York Times
