Week 2: V&A

1. Logo: I am a big fan of the Victoria and Albert Museum's logo. I appreciate the simplicity, the clean lines, and the condensed nature of the logotype. Not only does it appeal to me personally, but also I think the logo accurately fits the essence of the museum. As one of the oldest museums in London, the V&A should have a classy, enduring logotype, and I think the current logo is exactly that. I think the serif font also adds something Victorian to the logo, which is perfect considering the namesake of the museum. Additionally, The collections within the museum are extremely varied--from cartoons to glass blowing to Imperial Chinese Robes. Therefore, the logo must be able to encompass a wide range of galleries. Whereas last week's science museum had a narrow focus and could therefore choose a specific logo to suit the theme of the museum, the V&A has to cast a wider net with its logo. Finally, I thought the logo was beautifully incorporated on the promotional materials and maps found throughout the museum. With simple changes to the color, the V&A logo was blended into children's programs, concert programs, lists of events, and the museum map. Overall, I like this classic, succinct logo more than that of any other museum I've visited in London thus far.

2. Cast Courts: My immediate reaction to the Cast Courts gallery was to be overwhelmed by the imposing, dark figures of the exhibit. The objects in the exhibit were absolutely massive and filled every space in the room, bottom to top. The mood was somber, because many of the objects were religious artifacts, and indeed many were casts of tombs. It felt very macabre to me, even though there was light streaming in from the ceiling. The cast courts are valuable to visitors because they showcases the reproduction possibilities that plaster provides. The objects, though technically cast replications of famous pieces, allow visitors to experience the scale of truly imposing pieces like the Gates of Paradise and the statue of David. The end result is to appreciate the grandeur of the casts, and thereby appreciate the value of the actual works, considering their plaster casts are so impressive.

3. Isotype: The icons and symbols represented in the Isotype exhibit absolutely have more personality than the international system of signs. The international icons we see around the world in airports and international areas are extremely plain and straightforward, with the hope that they may be accurately interpreted by a large number of people, regardless of nationality. These icons seem bland in comparison to the whimsical silhouettes on display in the isotype exhibit. From the two examples below, the mood of the isotype is perfectly visible, making them easier to interpret. For example, in the unemployment statistics board, the number of unemployed workers are represented by a man standing with hunched shoulders, representing that he is destitute. Additionally, the color black reinforces the somber mood of the chart. The other example I have is of a sign warning workers in a German factory to protect their hair while working with machinery. The isotype of a woman yelling out in pain clearly gets the point across. The combinations of text and pictorial explanation in these examples and others within the isotype exhibit make many signs easier to interpret. For example, someone with little knowledge of the language of the text that is used could easily use the illustrations to complement their understanding of the text. 

4. Pattern: The patterns I chose to compare between the Islamic Middle East collection and the Ironwork collection are pictured below. First, I chose this ironwork pattern because it was one of the few in the exhibit which was not entirely black. That being said, it is sort of a muted gold, so there really is not much color in the piece anyway. What this piece lacks in color in makes up for in intricacy. The rounded pattern weaves through the entire piece, and each cell utilizes the pattern in a different way. Unlike many patterns in the Islamic exhibit which were round and symmetrical, this gate is made up of six panels, each of which has the same pattern. There are three divided sections in each of the panels, with a flourishing pattern at the top. I can see our discussion of repeated modules relating to music in the piece because there are distinctive peaks, yet they are in harmony between them because of their natural pattern. Again unlike many of the Islamic patterns, there is little geometric pattern here, but rather natural, floral patterns are dominant. The tile from the Islamic collection stands out immediately because of its bold colors in comparison with the ironwork. Additionally, the presence of powerful color in the pieces makes the geometric patterns more obvious to the observer. However, it does retain natural patterns like that of the iron work because of the floral winding throughout the piece. Overall, I appreciate these two pieces because they exemplify functional objects acting as art.

5. Underground: I should preface this entry by saying that I absolutely adore the London Underground, and utterly loathe the Madison Metro, so I am a bit biased. To me, the London Underground is a symbol of London's vibrancy. It is bright, consistent, and clean (in comparison with public transportation in other world cities, mainly New York). The Madison Metro, on the other hand, does not complement the city of Madison at all. Let's begin with the logo. The Underground logotype is simple, colorful, and widely applicable and recognizable. The contrast between blue and red, as well as the dissected circle is repeated in Tube stations, bus stops, and overground transportation throughout the city, making the symbol universally recognizable as the London Underground. The Madison Metro logo, conversely, is plastered on buses and bus stops throughout the city, but does not elicit the same kind of positive connotations. When I see the logo for the Madison Metro around town, it is almost always covered in dirt and grime, whether at the bus stop or on the bus itself. For this reason, I associate the Madison Metro logo with winter and uncleanliness, and the logo doesn't do much to deter this identification. Although the colors are bright, to me they are off-putting, especially the contrast between the red and gold stripes. The reason I love the Tube much more than the Madison Metro is because of its classic advertising campaigns, which are today renowned as true pieces of art. The same cannot be said for the Madison Metro's advertising campaigns. I have many favorites in the collection of vintage Tube posters, and each of them relates to the Underground's accessibility, fluidity, and ability to lead the traveler to something exciting aboveground. Below are a few of my favorites.

 

 

6. Object of Appreciation: There were so many pieces I loved in this museum, and I feel that I only scratched the surface! One of my favorites that I came across on my first visit, however, was the cast of the Doors of the Baptistry in Florence, also known as the Gates of Paradise. The original doors were crafted by Ghiberti in the 15th century, but the cast in the V&A was done by Messrs Franchi & Sons in London in 1867. I have a great appreciation for this piece for a few reasons. First, I studied the history and crafting of these doors extensively in high school in a European history class. Second, I visited the real doors in Florence in 2009, and was in awe of them. I will surely revisit this cast of Ghiberti's original doors in London because there is so much detail to admire. Every panel is a different scene, and I would love to look at each of them in greater depth.

Week 1: SCIENCE MUSEUM

1. Logo: The Science Museum Logo immediately stood out to me as stereotypically "scientific." By that I mean, it is sort of futuristic and laid out almost in the form of a maze. I was initially put off by the logo, but after spending time in the museum, I have a greater appreciation for it. The logo does absolutely relate to portions of the subject matter in the museum. For example, I think it fits in wonderfully with the space, mechanical and futuristic exhibits. However, I feel that it does not encompass the exhibits on the natural world as effectively. That being said, it would be hard to construct a logo that represents the numerous facets of "science" that the museum includes. It is also appropriate for the audience, children, because it is bold and exciting. I thought the font from the logo was also effectively integrated into the gift shop, cafe, and some title walls.

2. Navigation: I had a mixed experience with navigation within the Science Museum. I felt that the lifts and toilets were prominently marked throughout the museum, yet direction regarding exhibits, which should be the main focus of the museum, was lacking. Supplemental materials like the Science Museum Map were helpful because they were color coded and prominently marked. However, I felt there were not sufficient markings in the stairwells to direct you toward actual exhibits. There were numerous paths through the museum, which was nice because I could kind of explore on my own. A drawback to this was that I felt I may have missed some exhibits because I took my own path, rather than following a set path that I knew would cover every exhibit. I know you are meant to explore museums independently and make it a personal experience, but I felt lost more times than I felt comfortable with, especially in a museum geared toward children!

 

3. Shop/Cafe: The cafe and gift shop were an appropriate extension of the Science Museum brand, in my opinion. They followed the same bright, shiny, colorful patterns that were found throughout the exhibits. Uniform line structure in the form of tables and lighting also contributed to this "science" feel. The gift shop sold science-themed toys like lava lamps and microscopes, and had flying objects which were reminiscent of the airplane hanging in the main hall. Additionally, there was a prominent script circling the gift shop in the same typeface as the Science Museum logo, which I thought was a nice, consistent addition to encompass the room.

 

4. Display Cases: The display cases varied greatly in the Science Museum. The first floor exhibit included massive machinery that was not closed off much at all. This was effective because it allows the visitor to be struck by the size of scientific machines like steam engines and space capsules right from the start of their visit. This openness in display was carried into the space exhibit, where capsules and ships were similarly open to the viewer. The next room, however, disappointed me greatly. This room followed history along a timeline from the 1700s-2000, and the displays were dismal. Everything was behind glass, and had boring labels to boot. This disappointed me because as a history major, this should have been the most interesting to me! Framed pictures on gray walls, complimented by several "item temporarily removed signs" made the display cases in this exhibit dull. Upstairs, I was most impressed by the display cases in the "Who am I?" exhibit. These cases varied greatly in their contents, and the interiors were each designed uniquely. Each one of them was both fun and accessible. Text was integrated here with uniform titles across each display case, but a different system of labeling items in each distinct case.

5. Exhibits: My favorite exhibit, by far, was "Who am I?" I had two favorite display cases within this exhibit. Content wise, I loved the "What are you afraid of?" case. It was filled with glass jars of "phobias," which I thought was a fun and effective way to showcase the myriad of phobias that people have. It was fun to see common phobias, like fear of spiders, next to very unusual ones, like fear of air. Visually, my other favorite display case in this exhibit was "Why do I look like that?" This one caught my attention immediately because of the huge white peacock that spanned almost the entire case. The feathers reached almost every corner of the glass, which first caught my eye. Then I saw a leaping stuffed cat, which also caught my attention because I love cats. White was the overwhelmingly dominant color in the case. I found the museum, in general, to be very dark. Indeed, the "Who am I?" exhibit was in a dark room with dark walls, and therefore, the white of the peacock and the cat really jumped out at me.

6. Facts: I learned a lot at the science museum! First off, I learned that there is more to a museum than the exhibits! Thinking critically about the brand, layout, and presentation of the museum was really interesting for me. Science-wise, I learned that 1 in 8 people have at least one phobia. I learned that steam provides 75% of our electricity even today (which I find very hard to believe, but hey, it was in a museum, so it must be true?). I learned that twins can have a huge difference in skin pigmentation to the point that one is black and one is white. Finally, I learned that cats (and people) can have many more than 5 digits on each appendage!

Other thoughts: I have a few thoughts that don't fit in with the questions above, but I still need to get them off my chest. First, I was struck by how prominent color was throughout the museum. I felt that wherever I looked, blue and orange were visible somewhere, and more often than not, they were very bright and prominent. I guess I would count this as a positive feature, as it makes things more exciting for kids. Also, it reminded me a lot of Nickelodeon. Second, despite bright blue and orange signs, I felt that a lot of the museum was very dark and not properly lit. The darkness was used effectively in wall displays, for example, in the space exhibit, but I frequently couldn't read text in the displays of other exhibits. Maybe my vision is just poor. Third, I appreciated the clear distinction between the different types of "science" in the museum. By this I mean, there was an obvious shift from the space exhibit, to the machines exhibit, to the atmosphere exhibit, to the natural world exhibit, to the future exhibit, and to the body exhibit. This made things somewhat easier to follow, though I still think the overall navigation was lacking. Finally, I loved the exhibit on fashion. I thought it was so unexpected, but they also framed the fashion in a way that made it relevant to the museum!

  

Looking forward to the next one!

A small sample of the Science Museum: