On Fri, 14 Jun 1996, Robert A. Baron wrote:

> In this exhibit, labels were placed relatively low so that it was
> especially difficult to see past people in front.  In addition, the font
> was on the small side, suitable perhaps for private viewing, but not for
> viewing from a distance, and not easy to see if you are, say, past 40 years
> old.

They may have been placed low on the wall to make them accessible to
people in wheelchairs.  I agree with you about the font size though.
I'm not farsighted but I had a little trouble reading them from a
distance, too.  But there were some great things about those labels that
I'd love to see other galleries use--especially the use of reproductions
of preliminary sketches or infrared photos of the painting which gave
insight into Picasso's working process.  It was also refreshing to see
texts on Picasso which focused on content as well as form.

> In an exhibit such as the Picasso Portrait show, where the label
> information is so important for an understanding of how the works have been
> arranged, I believe it would be a good idea for the museum to publish a
> pamphlet or booklet (for borrowing and/or purchase) that contains all the
-> didactic texts.  I'd be willing to bet that having such a resource
> available will dramatically change how people use gallery space, and might
> even allow visitors to spend more time looking at the objects, which, I
> imagine, is still a goal in art exhibits.

Maybe that would work.  But let me play devil's advocate here.  Evidently a
lot of visitor research suggests
that many people pick up booklets (even free ones) only as souvenirs and
read them at home later.  Cost is also a factor, both people's willingness to
pay extra for a booklet (especially after paying $12.50 to get in to the
Picasso show) and the relative cost of producing text panels and
publishing thousands of booklets. For those who haven't seen the
show, the text panels were quite involved, with photographs, and
considerably larger than a booklet page.  You'd need a good-sized booklet
to fit all the information.  And maybe one good thing about having people
cluster around wall panels is that while they are reading they aren't
standing in front of the
works themselves, reading, and blocking the view of those who want to look!

Helen Glazer
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Goucher College, Baltimore, MD, USA