Guggenheim: Photophilia

For some reason, thematic collecting strikes me as a particularly extreme form of obsession. I have a rather short attention span, so perhaps it's just me. The Guggenheim is currently showing "Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection", a prime example of this sort of craziness. Over the course of the last 10 years, Henry Buhl collected over a thousand photographs pertaining to nothing but hands. The museum has two lectures associated with this show, one tonight and the other next week:

Photophilia: Collecting Photographs
Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 PM
This panel addresses the ways photographs are collected, and how the very gesture of gathering images becomes a significant aspect of contemporary art practice. Participants: Geoffrey Batchen (art history professor and author of Burning with Desire and Each Wild Idea, Marvin Heiferman (curator at ICP), and Jeff L. Rosenheim (assist. curator at the Met). Moderated by Jennifer Blessing, Exhibition Curator.

The Tactile Photograph
Tuesday, June 29 at 6:30 PM
This panel addresses the ways in which the sense of touch is evoked in photographs, whether through the representation of form or as an integral part of the creative process. Participants: Carol Armstrong, Jeanne Dunning, Kathy O'Dell, and Gary Schneider. Moderated by Jennifer Blessing, Exhibition Curator.

Both lectures are in in the Peter B. Lewis Theater and cost $10 ($7 for members, seniors, and students).

Guggenheim Museum
1071 5th Avenue (at 89th Street)
(212) 423-3500