The Marvelous Museum: Orphans, Curiosities & Treasures: A Mark Dion Project

Hardcover housed in a clamshell box with 14 specimen cards, 32 by 37.8 cm, well-illustrated in color, 127 pp., includes original – lightly worn – packing carton. As new, still sealed in the publisher's shrinkwrap. From the publisher: "What is the role of the museum in contemporary society? Using the Oakland Museum of California as a case study, artist Mark Dion examines how museum practices have shifted over time, what these changes mean for objects in museum collections, and what we can learn about our culture from what's included and what's abandoned. Enclosed in a clamshell case and featuring fourteen specimen cards, this deluxe volume brings the reader into Dion's process and reveals how the order of images can change one's perception of objects. Contributions from celebrated writers, including Lawrence Weschler and D. Graham Burnett, articulate Dion's unique power of examination." Mark Dion (1961 –) is an American conceptual artist best known for his use of scientific presentations in his installations. His work examines the way prevalent ideologies and institutions influence our understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world (Wikipedia). (Inventory #: 3886)