Words of Wisdom: A Curator's Vade Mecum

As a young curator in a different field than these curators, I have found these brief pieces to be really helpful and fascinating in the diversity of opinions they offer on the curator's role in creating exhibitions. It is really interesting seeing the differing degree to which ego drives various curators' work--each one writes very differently about the degree to which their vision, personality, and relationship to the artist and museum/gallery drive their work. All in all, a great resource. More importantly, many of the curators actually offer concrete advice, much of which i have found helpful and calming as I've worked through my own first major exhibition.

This is a great compendium of writings by some of the most prominent independent or affiliated curators working internationally today. Each was asked ten questions about curating and each responded in a different and fascinating way. This is an interesting book for all those interested in the relationship between the artist and the display of their work. It illuminates what a modern curator does and fascinates us by showing us that curators today have a broad variety of perspectives on what their job really is. Some of the curators see themselves as auteurs, while others merely feel they are an instrument for the artist. Highly recommended.