Greg Nov. 26: The '80s

For Greg's discussion group on Nov. 26, we'll be talking about the exhibit "This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s" at the ICA. Read pages 14 to 19 of the essay plus one of the other four sections. (In your written response, be sure to address both sections that you read.)

Some questions to consider: What are some of the main subjects or themes of the 1980s for curator Helen Molesworth? Which 1980s artists exemplify them for her? How do these subjects and themes continue to echo through or influence art and society today? Is Molesworth's history of the 1980s subjective or objective? How can you tell? What does it mean for a museum like the ICA to present a subjective or objective history of a decade? Is there art/creativity from the 1980s that is missing from Molesworth's version of the 1980s?

Pictured at top: David Hammons, "How Ya Like Me Now?," 1988. Tin, plywood, sledgehammers, Lucky Strike cigarette wrapper, and American Flag painting. 158 x 180 inches. Glenstone. Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.

Above: Donald Moffett, "Call the White House," 1990. Ciba transparency on light box. 40 ½ x 60 ½ x 6 ¾ inches. Courtesy of the artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery.