Fred Wilson: Objects and Installations, 1979-2000: Issues in Cultural Theory, No. 4

If social justice is Fred Wilson's subject, the museum is his medium. By placing meticulously rendered objects in environments that carefully recreate the details of a museum setting, down to their wall colors, lighting, display cases and wall labels, Wilson incisively explores the question of how the museum consciously and unconsciously perpetuates racist beliefs and behavior. From Egyptian and classical Greek and Roman sculpture to African-American memorabilia, from the primativist painting of Picasso to the uniforms worn by often black museum guards, Wilson's provocative juxtapositions speak to a complex history of museological omission, manipulation and oversight. This book marks the artist's first mid-career survey.