Taylor: “Performance Art” explores the work of visual artists, such as Carolee Schneemann and Chris Burden.

Fraser: Andrea Fraser critiques the exclusionary practices of museum institutions by revealing their bias towards the white, middle class audience.

I was fascinated by Andrea Fraser’s construction of self as an “insider” while serving as docent, Jane Castleton. As an insider, a person who represents the values of the museum and is a “figure of identification for the primarily white, middle-class audience,” the docent’s identity excludes members who may identify with another race or class. Fraser’s mention of “culture-speak,” jargon used by docents, also alienates “outsiders” and those that are unfamiliar with the language. This theme of self and other is present in Fraser’s performance with the separation of the outsider from the insider. Similar to our past readings of how art excludes spectators that do not identify with the narrative of the artist or the subject of portrayal, the museum tour performance does the same by outcasting “others” who are not members of the white, middle class community.

An interesting aspect of the reading was Fraser’s reference to the Museum Shop and the opportunity to change the name of the shop for $750,000. This mention of opportunity and the docent’s suggestion to the audience to purchase a museum membership may give visitors a sense of unwelcome and create guilt because of their inability to afford such luxuries. From the jargon of the docent to the European exhibits of the museum, it is obvious that it is an institution that forces the public to “raise their standards of taste” if it wants to appreciate the values of the museum. Overall, Fraser does an excellent job of using her artistic production via museum tours and fictional character to challenge the historical practices of museums that do not represent the identity of the local community.