Clark Studies in the Visual Arts – serie

Fictions of Art History, the most recent addition to the Clark Studies in the Visual Arts series, addresses art history’s complex relationships with fiction, poetry, and creative writing. Inspired by a 2010 conference, the volume examines art historians’ viewing practices and modes of writing. How, the contributors ask, are we to unravel the supposed facts of history from the fictions constructed in works of art? How do art historians employ or resist devices of fiction, and what are the effects of those choices on the reader? In styles by turns witty, elliptical, and plain-speaking, the essays in Fictions of Art History are fascinating and provocative critical interventions in art history.Distributed for the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

A global reconsideration and broadening of the definition of art conservation through the lenses of theory, ethics, culture, and historyThought-provoking and timely, this volume challenges inherited thinking on art conservation practice and purposefully reconsiders the definition of the field. Scholars from around the world discuss topics including the conservation of global painting practices, cold storage and digitization, conservation within institutions, and the decolonization of art conservation. The authors seek to broaden the scope of conservation practice and challenge the boundaries that set it apart from art history and art making. They thoughtfully consider the implications of conservation beyond museum walls. This volume in the esteemed Clark Studies in the Visual Arts maintains the series’s tradition of providing a nuanced reckoning with vital themes in the field.Distributed for the Clark Art Institute

An examination of how engagement with the nuances of Caribbean intellectual thought could reshape art history  Despite its rich cultural and intellectual heritage, the Caribbean region has often been excluded from art history—along with essential discussions ranging from plantation life and antislavery movements to decolonization and transculturation. Beyond Boundaries: Seeing Art History from the Caribbean explores why the field has been slow to embrace Caribbean intellectual history and advocates for an approach that acknowledges the multidisciplinary and multilingual nature of the region’s voices. By reevaluating existing interpretive methodologies, the authors show how a broader engagement with Caribbean perspectives can benefit art history, reshaping the discourse and creating a more inclusive and dynamic field.  Distributed for the Clark Art Institute