GALLERY

The Label show

at the Museum of Fine Arts

through May 1

"The Label Show" is not the part of the MFA to visit when you're suffering from museum fatigue; it really makes you work, both physically and mentally. The exhibit deals with three questions: what art is; how art mirrors the time in which it is created; and how museums deal with contemporary art, which often seems to defy established categories.

The definition of the word "label" is purposely ambiguous. It refers most clearly to the explanatory texts that accompany works of art in museums. The show plays with this type of label by presenting several of them with each piece of art, by having the authors sign the texts (which are usually anonymous), and by placing the works and the labels relatively far apart, forcing the viewer to approach the piece without the intermediary of the label. This requires the viewer to put some effort into viewing; in many cases, the labels aren't next to the works to which they refer, so that several trips back and forth are necessary.

This technique also makes the show more fun than usual. The labels aren't the typical dry theoretical texts commonly offered by museums: one is written as a short play; on is designed as a "Family Place" activity sheet for children; another asks "WHY ARE YOU READING THIS LABEL?" They are written by the artists, the curators, subjects of portraits, and guest contributors to the show, ranging from curators of other museums to writers, playwrights, and magazine editors.

The word "label" also refers to the grouping of the works in the show. Headings on the walls divide the art into categories like "Local Scene" or "The Rebel Tradition." Other interpretations of the show's title are also at stake: in the section entitled "Others," none of the artists is a straight white male, which raises the issue of how we label groups in our society. "The Rebel Tradition" contains works that challenge the label of "art." One of the pieces in this section is actually a type of label itself: Declaration of Authenticity is a framed slip of paper signed by the artist. The category called "Commerce and Art" also challenges the definition of art. Here, the best-selling poster from the Museum shop hangs next to the painting of which it is a print--Nanny and Rose. The shop's most popular postcards (mostly Impressionist pieces) are also framed, making us wonder if we like certain paintings for themselves or because they're famous.

Although the show concentrates on the faults and foibles of the art world, it suggests the actual works of art should take equal prominence. The exhibit forces the viewer to interact directly with the art-- and makes the process varied and worthwhile. All but one work (a Donatello relief) is contemporary, but the range is still incredible, Every conceivable medium is represented, as well as work by both relatively unknown and famous artists (a Mapplethorpe photograph and a Warhol Oxidation Painting--urine on canvas--are two notable examples).

Another interesting aspect of the exhibit is the "Inventing a Contemporary Period Room" section in which the curators have put together a "typical" room of the '90's. The room is hardly typical, unless you're a millionaire art-collector, but it is still beautiful and holds a collection of unique objects. This part of the show aims to explore how "an understanding of the past...is conditioned by the time in which it was created." But, as the label points out, the room "fails to convince because it lacks the reality and diversity of actual life." This installation illustrates how museums often project a misleading vision of the past.

"The Label Show" transcends the conventions of curating. In addition to being a showcase for some fascinating--and infrequently displayed--works of art, the exhibit raises questions, perhaps insoluble, about art, museums, and the values of our society in general.