Palo Alto, California
The literal meaning of the word “diorama”– through that which is seen–served as the title for this exhibition of sculptures and installations by more than a dozen artists. The idea of the diorama explored in the show–as a model, whether miniature or life-size, of anything from a historical event to a species habitat–dates back to the 19th century. In its infancy, it functioned as a kind of pre-cinematic entertainment spectacle, before evolving into a nature/culture educational tool. Many kinds of museums have used dioramas, sometimes as vehicles better suited to propaganda than fact….see the entire review in the print version of July/August’s Sculpture magazine.
