Category Archives: MET

The Decapitation Of Meaning

“Upon the face of this old queen of the French cathedrals, beside each wrinkle, we find a scar.” Victor Hugo   For me, PRESERVATION is a strongly political act. It doesn’t have to be, but usually, it is a result of a political process, collective funding, and committee-derived narrative. What this means is that preservationContinue reading “The Decapitation Of Meaning”

The Beauty of the Undefined

Photographs used for educational and non-commercial purposes only. “I can’t paint what I dream because I paint memorandum of my dreams…I have so many dreams about angels.  I paint imitations of angels just as I imagined them.  I do not paint an angel, because they come from the throne of God.  We can get theContinue reading “The Beauty of the Undefined”

Preservation, Demolition, Destruction, Decay and Death

Photographs used for educational and non-commercial purposes only.   This is a new thread of investigation – In what ways does “preservation” help us avoid death?  How does the purity of our preservation efforts directly reflect personal feelings of loss?  Our world is in a continuous process of demolition (Pruitt Igo Housing demolition), destruction (ISISContinue reading “Preservation, Demolition, Destruction, Decay and Death”

Contemporary Art Happenings in Historic House Museums

Contemporary Art Happenings in Historic House Museums. F. Vagnone Presentation given at the Thomas Cole Historic Site, Catskill, NY

The narcissism of details

The narcissism of details New York City, 2014 I don’t mean to pick on Old George, but he really slept around. A lot. Have you ever noticed that the official messaging for a historic house site  usually involves an obscure detail? The most obvious – “George Washington slept here”. I have been stunned to learnContinue reading “The narcissism of details”

Ashes in Alabama and the power of flaws 3.8.14

I traveled down to Montgomery, AL to visit the Dexter Ave. Parsonage. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family resided in this home during a 1956 bombing attack.   It is now an historic house museum. (Image: Franklin D. Vagnone) The damaged porch of MLK’s Montgomery home. (Image: blogspot.com) One of the most amazing thingsContinue reading “Ashes in Alabama and the power of flaws 3.8.14”

Museum Anarchist tags

“museum anarchist” tags were begun as a way to engage a wider community in soliciting comments and ideas about the present state of museums and historic house museums.  Many people have taken this idea and tweeted pictures back to me showing their “anarchist” tags in situ ( @franklinvagnone ).   What do you find annoying aboutContinue reading “Museum Anarchist tags”

The Sagredo Bedroom – 9.15.13

“I am a museum anarchist and I think this is the most inviting bedroom ever – I would never leave. ” (but I will never know because there is a glass wall between me and the bed!)