The Rhetoric of Two Museums and the Representation and Canonization of Modern Art (1935-1975): The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Modern Art in New York Museums of modern art have... Show moreThe Rhetoric of Two Museums and the Representation and Canonization of Modern Art (1935-1975): The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Modern Art in New York Museums of modern art have determined the course of modern art history. Their contributions to the representation and canonization of modern art have been shaped by how they have presented art in their (temporary) exhibitions and publications. They have provided the public with a verbal and visual story of modern art. In order to provide greater insight into the process of the creation of the museums__ stories, this book uses __rhetoric__ to deconstruct their stories of modern art. Rhetoric is used as an analytical model to investigate the communications of modern art museums. Their goals are to communicate their stories and to persuade their various audiences of the importance of modern art. The principal strategies of classical rhetoric ethos, pathos and logos are used as the main entries for this book. Two influential museums are compared: the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam). The differences in their goals, financing, audiences and positions in their societies, have determined their different persuasive strategies. By analyzing these museums as orators and deconstructing their verbal and visual rhetoric, the process of representation and canonization is clarified. Show less
