ART PAPERS 21.01 - Jan/Feb 1997

Our first issue of 1997 considers re-explorations of Americana and its influences on curated exhibitions and contemporary art movements. During the 19^th century, the Cabinet of Curiosities, a precursor to natural history museums, was the home of found objects and oddities. A number of artists reflect on the influence of the curio cabinet in their work. The issue opens with two essays and four book reviews by Jerry Cullum that approach the topics of collecting, curiosities, and roadside attractions. Robert Bruhns discusses the transformation of the southwest after the invention of the Interstate Highway System in Re-inventing the American Road. This issue also includes art reviews by various writers.