Art & Energy: How Culture Changes

by Barry Lord

In Art & Energy, Barry Lord argues that human creativity is deeply linked to the resources available on earth for our survival. From our ancient mastery of fire through our exploitation of coal, oil, and gas, to the development of today’s renewable energy sources, each new source of energy fundamentally transforms our art and culture—how we interact with the world, organize our communities, communicate, and conceive of and assign value to art. By analyzing art, artists, and museums across eras and continents, Lord demonstrates how our cultural values and artistic expression are formed by our efforts to access and control the energy sources that make these cultures possible. Ultimately, Art & Energy reveals how, in Lord’s words, “energy transition is a powerful engine of cultural change.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, History, Politics, Philosophy, Science, Cultural

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2014

About the author

Barry Lord is internationally known as one of the world's leading museum planners. Based in Toronto but working globally, Barry brings over fifty years of experience in the management and planning of museums, galleries and historic sites to the hundreds of projects he has directed. With a B.A. in Philosophy from McMaster University followed by graduate work at Harvard University's Center for the Study of World Religions, Barry co-founded Lord Cultural Resources with his wife Gail Lord in 1981. Together they edited and wrote the world's first book on the subject, Planning Our Museums (1983) and three editions of The Manual of Museum Planning (1991, 1999 and 2012). Barry also co-authored The Cost of Collecting (1989) and The Manual of Museum Management (1997; 2nd edition, 2009), co-edited two editions of The Manual of Museum Exhibitions (2002 and 2014), and edited the first edition of The Manual of Museum Learning (2007). Barry co-authored Artists, Patrons, and the Public: Why Culture Changes with Gail in 2010. His most recent book, Art and Energy: How Culture Changes was published by the American Alliance of Museums in 2014.

Reviews

[SL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry Lord makes a compelling case here for the energy we use being the major influence of culture (and its various shifts). Ultimately, the best reason to read this book is expressed in its final thoughts:

"Understanding cultures in relation to the energy sources that make them possible enables us to anticipate, appreciate and empathize with the cultural priorities of other nations that have had different histories of energy transition."

[Paul Razzell]

Recommended by Margaret Atwood on the Ezra Klein podcast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

[Shlomo Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, concise, and wonderfully profound book. So glad that Margaret Atwood recommended it on Ezra Klein Show podcast. A real gem.