Bates Museum of Art Podcast

Bates Museum of Art
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A deep dive with museum staff, faculty, interns, artists, and more into the Bates College Museum of Art and all aspects of the museum world. Hosted by the Assistant Education Curator and programming interns. New episodes every other Tuesday!

  1. 05/21/2024

    #19 - Live at Life Drawing

    Peter visits the museum's weekly life drawing session to interview local artists Joel Babb, Anita Clearfield, and Joe Klofas. Topics include challenges of drawing from a live model, the role of the local community, and advice for beginners. Intro with Amelia Killackey '25. Check out Joel Babb's website here! Check out Anita Clearfield's website here! All music composed and produced by Oliver Todreas '23. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    25 min

  2. 05/14/2024

    #18: Meet Our Director w/Dan Mills

    Peter sits down with the museum's Director, Dan Mills, to discuss his career in museums as well as past and upcoming exhibitions. Topics include the many roles of a director, what it takes to connect with a campus community, and expanding the museum's programming outside the gallery. Want to learn more about our upcoming exhibitions? Click here to learn more! All music composed and produced by Oliver Todreas '23. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    27 min

  3. 05/07/2024

    #17 - Collection Deep Dive w/Student Interns

    Peter joins Julia Neumann '25, Simone Obregon '27, Owen Haddad '25, Carley Freund '26, and Kevin Duong '25 to talk about their semester at the museum and collections research. Topics include the recent solar eclipse, coastal Maine, and how identity informs art. ⁠Click here to see the artwork discussed in the episode.⁠ All music composed and produced by Oliver Todreas '23. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    16 min

  4. 04/30/2024

    #16 - NSK and the Absurdity of Power

    Peter sits down with returning guests Samantha Sigmon and Clara Kennedy to explore the museum's new exhibition, Neue Slowenische Kunst | Monumental Spectacular. Topics include totalitarianism, parody, and methods for reclaiming symbolism. Season 4 premiere! Check out art from the exhibition and find more information here! All music composed and produced by Oliver Todreas '23. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23. Edited by Maura Ferrigno '25.

    27 min

  5. 04/16/2024

    C&C - Arthur Rothstein, the FSA, and the Ethics of Documentary Photography

    In 1936, Arthur Rothstein created the black and white photograph, Migrant Family Oklahoma, which depicts a family of six in front of their car. Through his lens, Rothstein captured the realities of migrant farmers displaced as a result of the Dust Bowl. This image, which was commissioned by the Farm Security Administration as a part of a larger series, is still a valued historical document today. This podcast explores the impacts of photography on the American public during both the 1930s and the present day. How did photographers such as Arthur Rothstein, Dorothea Lange, and Walker Evans shape our view of major historical events like the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression? What are the ethical concerns surrounding Rothstein’s photograph Migrant Family Oklahoma and other documentary photographs by the Farm Security Administration? Tune in to hear more! Click here for a transcription and bibliography as well as images of the works discussed in today's episode.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of the Crop and Click series featuring student research on documentary photography from our collection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for a portfolio of all the works discussed in the series.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted and produced by Clementine Paarlberg and Eno Little. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    14 min

  6. 04/10/2024

    C&C - Ming Zhou: Untitled (1)

    In this episode, Olivia Torrington ‘27 and Leo Silverman ‘27 analyze the composition and impact of the 2002 documentary photograph titled Untitled (1), taken in China by Chinese photographer Ming Zhou. Through intricate visual analysis, we explore both the overt and obscure stylistic choices Zhou employs to portray a narrative of oppression and compliance in China. We contextualize this documentary image using historical information and relevant sources on the complexities of Mao Zedong’s historic rule in China. Through understanding the lasting impact of communism and oppression left by former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, we dissect Zhou’s characterization of modern Chinese society and strive to understand how past and current Chinese policy remain interconnected. We discuss the visual and metaphorical contrasts Zhou presents in his image through compositional elements and the parallels they draw. Overall, we analyze the ability of Untitled (1) to truthfully document a scene as well as the intricacies of Chinese society that have led to that point. Click here for a transcription and bibliography as well as images of the works discussed in today's episode.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of the Crop and Click series featuring student research on documentary photography from our collection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for a portfolio of all the works discussed in the series.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted and produced by Olivia Torrington and Leo Silverman. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    12 min

  7. 04/02/2024

    C&C - You Can’t Become What You Can’t Accurately See: An Investigation into Blackness in Documentary Photography

    In this podcast, we delve into a photograph by Larry Fink from the Harlem Youth Congressional School Collection. Taken in February of 1964, this image depicts a well-dressed Black man delivering a speech to a relatively large audience. Rendered in black and white, the photograph explores the intersection of race, power dynamics, community, and ethnography. Through the lens of documentary photography, specifically we investigate the historical context of Kodak’s Shirley Card and its role in the systemic exclusion of Black people from photographic documentation until its revision in 1995. Our podcast questions why photographic technology was not originally designed to encompass the experiences and lives of Black individuals. Furthermore, we examine the impact of Larry Fink’s racial perspective on the composition and narrative of this photograph. Dissecting Fink’s thesis, we’ll consider how Fink’s whiteness taints the photograph, examining the ethics behind his qualifications, as well as the ethnographic implications. Additionally, we draw comparisons between this image and Fink’s prior ethnographic work, analyzing how this photo functioned as documentation. Building on top of our own analysis, we bring in theorists such as Tina Campt, Sarah Lewis, and Shawn Michelle Smith to provide a sharp insight into the systemic implications and intersections of Blackness in documentary photography. Click here for a transcription and bibliography as well as images of the works discussed in today's episode.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of the Crop and Click series featuring student research on documentary photography from our collection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for a portfolio of all the works discussed in the series.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted and produced by Francesca White and Aazayah Ross. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    25 min

  8. 03/26/2024

    C&C - Consequences of Conflict

    This podcast explores the photographer Ernst Haas and his photograph Homecoming Prisoner taken in 1948. Through visual analysis and critical thinking, we will attempt to unearth the photographs' meaning and message. We start by diving into Ernst Haas’s life and career that leads up to the creation of the photograph. We then analyze the story and meaning behind this famous and emotionally provocative photograph of a lone soldier returning home from war. Homecoming Prisoner is significant and unique because of its melancholy undertones and interesting physical features, and it tells a political story about Western society and its acceptance of war veterans during this time period after World War II. Exploration of body language and orientation as well as framing and structure reinforce a narrative about World War II veterans who have returned home. Through historical context and viewing the photograph through a documentary lens, we will together build a schema to further our understanding of this intricate photograph. Click here for a transcription and bibliography as well as images of the works discussed in today's episode.⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of the Crop and Click series featuring student research on documentary photography from our collection. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for a portfolio of all the works discussed in the series.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted and produced by Nora Fox and Nathaniel Zuckerberg. Cover art by Lucy Sherman '23.

    16 min
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About

A deep dive with museum staff, faculty, interns, artists, and more into the Bates College Museum of Art and all aspects of the museum world. Hosted by the Assistant Education Curator and programming interns. New episodes every other Tuesday!

Information

  • Creator
    Bates Museum of Art
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2024
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bates Museum of Art
  • Show Website
    Bates Museum of Art Podcast