An ‘object lesson’ is a style of teaching popularised in British schools during the early nineteenth century. The idea is that students were presented with an object lesson box that acted as a sort of material encyclopaedia and were asked to describe and learn the innate qualities that each object presents. Questions of how the object feels, smells, tastes and looks were raised and provided students with an invaluable education about the qualities of things without the noise and fuzz of contextual information. Through this exhibition, The Henry Moore Institute seeks to inform visitors about the Victorian object lesson and the development of these lessons from everyday classroom use to the world of art and artists.
Situated in a small room just off the main reception area, the exhibition’s enclosed space and red walls provide a necessary escape from the usual devotion to the ‘white cube’ (sparse white walls) that The Institute promotes. The inclusion of painted red walls was deliberate as ‘Pompeiian red’ was considered the best colour to display sculpture during the Victorian period as the deep, rich tone brought out the stark whiteness of marble sculptures. It was also popular for personal use during the period, and helps to fill the visitors with a sense of nostalgia for the time period that the exhibition explores.
The central area of the small space is most prominent and is marked by glass cases displaying Victorian examples of object lesson boxes. The centrality of these specimen boxes – which are, alone, extremely interesting to look at – informs us that they are key to understanding the exhibition as a whole. Interestingly, these boxes that were originally designed to be touched and experienced with all the senses are now placed behind glass and separated from the visitor, decontextualising them and raising important questions about the display of historic objects and the contradictions that institutions raise. Visitors are encouraged to experience the objects through synaesthesia, the sense of sight as a kind of touch, and synaesthesia alone. This creates an interesting parallel to the sister exhibition, Paul Neagu: Palpable Sculpture, which was on display alongside Object Lessons until November which also expressed that visitors should not touch works which had been designed by the artist with the sole purpose of being touched.
The exhibition feels as though you are stepping into a different world, leaving behind the stark, white reception area of the Henry Moore Institute and entering a more welcoming area based on physical exploration and play. Object Lessons focuses on a journey and gives a sense of progression from nineteenth century schooling and more general education to the education of specific artists, creating work from objects. This historic approach to the works on display differs from the usual interpretations in art institutions where the visitor is encouraged to find their own pathway around the space. Instead you are able to feel the different uses of the objects through time just by standing inside the close space.
Hayley Reid
Image: ‘Educational Specimen Box’, Unknown maker, ca. 1850 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London