The Mystique of the Archive September 2, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Archives, in all their forms, are the material record of a culture. They provide a vital source for the exploration of the imaginations of both individuals and societies. There is an aura about archives emanating from their promise of mystery, adventure, and discovery. The allure of archives has become increasingly apparent in recent years as more and more writers have used the subject of archives as the central focus of their work: Umberto Eco, Tom Stoppard, Doris Lessing, Penelope Lively, and Julian Barnes, among others. As the American novelist Josephine Herbst wrote to a friend after spending a day in her attic pouring over old letters and manuscripts, "I had a strange feeling reading these things... a kind of other-world feeling as if understanding from somewhere beyond earth had suddenly fallen upon one's shoulders."
This exhibition uses the lens of the Ransom Center to explore both the archiving process and the culture surrounding archives themselves. Drawing on the Center's extensive holdings of the imaginative works of writers and artists, the exhibition demonstrates the varied nature of archives and their many uses.
The exhibition is organized into thematic sections that:
- describe what constitutes an archive;
- document how creative works evolve from idea to realization;
- map an archive's journey from the writer's home to the scholar's desk;
- examine the monetary, cultural, research, and magical values of archives; and
- illustrate how archives help us better understand culture and art.
The Ransom Center's biennial Flair Symposium, Creating a Usable Past: Writers, Archives, and Institutions, scheduled for November 13-15, 2008, will further examine the place of archives in contemporary culture and the role of archives as the vital source for understanding it.
A Cabinet of Drawings September 2, 2008 - January 4, 2009
This exhibition will explore the Ransom Center's extensive holdings of drawings created by internationally recognized artists, architects, designers, scientists, and literary greats. Selections will highlight the medium's inherent strength as a multifaceted form of visual communication. From intimate expressions of the artist's innermost thoughts to highly refined master works, the exhibition will provide visitors with a broad appreciation of this fundamental yet highly versatile and expressive art form.
The exhibition, or "cabinet," will be presented as a series of mini-exhibitions contextually grouped by theme and artistic intent to include preliminary drawings, designs, book illustration, illustrated letters, landscapes, and portraiture.
