Writing

"The Language of Encroachment" in Nature & Nation, St Martins/Arts Council, 2003

This essay in the catalogue of the Arts Council Touring Exhibition, Nature & Nation, considers the use of language surrounding the migrations of species across borders. It looks at the definitions of words such as invasion, introduction, and indigenous, in a variety of contexts, and examines how language is used to demonise such species as Japanese knotweed, Chinese mitten crabs, Canadian pondweed and black woodpeckers. Using various case-studies from the national press and scientific journals, the essay proposes that the natural environment is used as a allegory in which we talk to ourselves about race, nationality and resources.

"Acquisitions at the British Museum" in Consuming Ancient Egypt, Cavendish Press, 2003

This essay discusses the project Acquisitions at the British Museum (1998) in the light of the British Museum-going public's fascination with Ancient Egypt. It considers the semiotics of souvenir-photography within the museum, and the purchase of reproduction-souvenirs within the space of the museum. In particular it discusses the nature of the overlapping image and the desire for identity-merging with reference to the Freudian fort-da phenomenon.

"Grave-goods and Teddy Bear Thieves", Inventory, 1998

This essay examines the phenomenon of obsessive flower-laying and the leaving of other objects after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Examining the nature of flowers at funerals, and the relationship between childhood and death, the essay goes on to interpret the desire to throw flowers onto the hearse in the light of previously examined notions of relics and touching.

"Acquisition, Envy and the Museum Visitor", Experiencing Material Culture in the Western World, Ed. Susan Pearce, Leicester University Press, 1997

This essay discusses the relationship between collectors, visitors, curators and collections, and how it is affected by the presentation of preserved objects in television programmes and the popular press. It proposes that projects like the People's Shows mark a shift away from reverence towards competition.

"The Real Thing", Museological Review, 1996

This essay examines the project Four Defining Absences (Museum of Mankind, 1995) in which four objects from the museum's collection are defined in their absence by their histories and the objects and spaces which have surrounded them since collection. It goes on to discuss the nature of realness with reference to the fabrication of relics within the early Christian Church, particularly considering the hierarchy of senses which places touch above sight as satisfying the desire for contact.


				Julian Walker Writing



	Home \| Introduction and recent projects \| Births, Chimneys and Lightermen - Collecting Greenwich Peninsula, 2008 \| Words and Forgetting, 2007 \| Encounters with Objects, EV+A, Limerick 2006 \| Art out of place, Norwich, 2005 \| Sample, 2003 \| Treat Yourself, 2003 \| The Best in Heritage, 2002 \| Hygiene, 2002 \| Art & Work Award 2002 \| Unit 2 Gallery, 2002 \| Lies & Belonging, 2001 \| Walking On Eggshells, 2000 \| In The Picture, 2000 \| New Contemporaries 99 \| Projects 1995 to 2001 \| Mr and Mrs Walker have moved, 1998 \| Curriculum Vitae \| Smaller Individual Works \| Work data: size, date, medium \| Writing \| Reviews \| Catalogue Texts \| Proposals & Forthcoming \| Work in progress \| Drawing \| The British Library \| Do Bees Like Van Gogh? \| Transmission: Provenance - talk Nov 2004 \| Considered alterations \| Educational work \| Books on language


		Book reviews on Amazon are written under the name Bookcase 2009 August publication - Discovering Words, Shire Books: a book of word histories. Also for 2010 Discovering Words in the Kitchen, Shire Books, a book of histories of words to do with food, cooking and eating. 2007 Essays for Catalogue for Words and Forgetting, on linguistic encounters in the late eighteenth century along the north-west coast of America, and early European encounters with the potlatch ceremony. 2006 “Do Bees Like Van Gogh?” (with Lars Chittka), Optics and Laser Technology Vol 38/4-6 2004 Guide to the Treasures Gallery, The British Library, London 2003 A New Map, The British Library, London "Acquisitions at the British Museum" in Consuming Ancient Egypt, Cavendish Press 2001 Paper at Hastings Rarities Symposium, Hastings Museum 1999 "An Outpouring of Material Objects", Kontura magazine, Zagreb 1998 "Grave-goods and Teddy Bear Thieves", Inventory 1998 "Report on the International Occasional Museum of Collecting", Carry On Collecting, Leicester University Press 1997 "Acquisition, Envy and the Museum Visitor", Experiencing Material Culture in the Western World, Ed. Susan Pearce, Leicester University Press 1996 "The Real Thing", Museological Review 1995 "Artists in Museums", Paper at Museums Association Conference, Leicester University 1991 "Pictures for Eating", Art and Education



		"The Language of Encroachment" in Nature & Nation, St Martins/Arts Council, 2003 This essay in the catalogue of the Arts Council Touring Exhibition, Nature & Nation, considers the use of language surrounding the migrations of species across borders. It looks at the definitions of words such as invasion, introduction, and indigenous, in a variety of contexts, and examines how language is used to demonise such species as Japanese knotweed, Chinese mitten crabs, Canadian pondweed and black woodpeckers. Using various case-studies from the national press and scientific journals, the essay proposes that the natural environment is used as a allegory in which we talk to ourselves about race, nationality and resources. "Acquisitions at the British Museum" in Consuming Ancient Egypt, Cavendish Press, 2003 This essay discusses the project Acquisitions at the British Museum (1998) in the light of the British Museum-going public's fascination with Ancient Egypt. It considers the semiotics of souvenir-photography within the museum, and the purchase of reproduction-souvenirs within the space of the museum. In particular it discusses the nature of the overlapping image and the desire for identity-merging with reference to the Freudian fort-da phenomenon. "Grave-goods and Teddy Bear Thieves", Inventory, 1998 This essay examines the phenomenon of obsessive flower-laying and the leaving of other objects after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Examining the nature of flowers at funerals, and the relationship between childhood and death, the essay goes on to interpret the desire to throw flowers onto the hearse in the light of previously examined notions of relics and touching. "Acquisition, Envy and the Museum Visitor", Experiencing Material Culture in the Western World, Ed. Susan Pearce, Leicester University Press, 1997 This essay discusses the relationship between collectors, visitors, curators and collections, and how it is affected by the presentation of preserved objects in television programmes and the popular press. It proposes that projects like the People's Shows mark a shift away from reverence towards competition. "The Real Thing", Museological Review, 1996 This essay examines the project Four Defining Absences (Museum of Mankind, 1995) in which four objects from the museum's collection are defined in their absence by their histories and the objects and spaces which have surrounded them since collection. It goes on to discuss the nature of realness with reference to the fabrication of relics within the early Christian Church, particularly considering the hierarchy of senses which places touch above sight as satisfying the desire for contact.