Displays of Power (with a new afterword): Controversy in the American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation! [Paperback]

Steven Dubin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814718906 | ISBN-13: 978-0814718902 | Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Museums have become ground zero in America's culture wars. Whereas fierce public debates once centered on provocative work by upstart artists, the scrutiny has now expanded to mainstream cultural institutions and the ideas they present. In Displays of Power, Steven Dubin, whose Arresting Images was deemed "masterly" by the New York Times, examines the most controversial exhibitions of the 1990s. These include shows about ethnicity, slavery, Freud, the Old West, and the dropping of the atomic bomb by the Enola Gay. This new edition also includes a preface by the author detailing the recent Sensation! controversy at the Brooklyn Museum. Displays of Power draws directly upon interviews with many key combatants: museum administrators, community activists, curators, and scholars. It authoritatively analyzes these episodes of America struggling to redefine itself in the late 20th century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A signal contribution to the 'culture wars,' Dubin dispassionately examines the contemporary American museum as a battleground for the control of expression where elitist and populist camps clash over politically sensitive art. . . . His provocative study gives voice to curators and partisans on all points of the spectrum, making his book something of a lively free-for-all. . . . Cogently demonstrates that modern museums are crucibles for change rather than pleasant refuges, and that they are expanding the public's awareness that we live in an increasingly multicultural society and a multinational world."

-Publishers Weekly,

"A lively and insightful new book. . . . Using an evenhanded journalistic approach and remarkably revealing interviews, Dubin documents how the institutions, run by idealistic and politically naive curators and exploited by conservative opponents, were marred by allowing minor conflicts to blow up into front-page stories. . . . Show[s] that while museum may be adept at producing spectacular displays of propaganda, they are often incapable of predicting the reactions of their audiences."

-Artforum,

"Displays of Power is contentious, irreverent, and entertaining, but it is also absolutely serious. . . . Is the book useful or intimidating? Is it a cautionary tale or a diatribe against museum complacency? I believe that it is all of these things. . . . A cautionary tale told boisterously and wittily."

-Museum News,

"Reveals how demands for accountability to various interest groups frequently lead to censorship [and] a retreat from shows that deal with complex social questions."

-Art in America,

About the Author

Steven C. Dubin's most recent book, Arresting Images, was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year (1992). He is the Director of the Media, Society, and the Arts Program at the State University of New York, Purchase.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814718906
• ISBN-13: 978-0814718902
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars good, December 6, 2011

By 

Ronda C. Kaufman (Cartersville, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Displays of Power (with a new afterword): Controversy in the American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation! (Paperback)

order was correct, quick and as stated good shipper.. thanks. Will use again when we need more text books. Great prices keep up the good work

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but slightly repetitive, November 9, 2006

By 

Bridget (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Displays of Power (with a new afterword): Controversy in the American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation! (Paperback)

It is a good book to look at controversy during exhibitions, but from what i've read, it is slightly repetitive. They different exhibitions all have their detractors and it starts to wear on you when you end up discussing the same topics for each exhibition. (I am using this in a classroom setting) It is excellently written, though, clear and to the point, though at times the stories themselves are so convoluted that it gets confusing.

If you are a curator, or looking into curating as a profession, I would recommend this book, just to see some of the problems that can arise.