Exhibition books

I've been photographing my exhibition books - of which there are about 6 now.  I first started keeping them purely to 'do as I was told' in order to be a good student.  I was told to record my attendance at exhibitions on two facing pages of an A5 notebook - name of exhibition, date, location; a postcard, a drawing and notes on what occurred to you while looking at the exhibition.  It has become an essential tool for me being a student. 

I note down what occurred to me when looking at the exhibition - usually around the idea of "how does this exhibition represent women?"  And sometimes years later, I look back at the book and realise those fleeting thoughts actually picked up on something critical.  I use these books all the time and they often give me pointers to my current work, years after they were drawn.  My best exhibition book pages always have my drawings on them.  

Pitt Rivers Museum, thinking about labelling work
and how it shows the thought processes/preconceived ideas/assumptions of the curator.

National Portrait Gallery museum, WW1 exhibition,
 identifying that Officers were named, decorated, clean, fully suited-and-booted;
 whereas ordinary people were unnamed, possibly dead, generic types

British Museum, Vikings exhibition.  Packed exhibition with entry times 10 minutes apart
 and I tucked into a tiny corner with my stool, to be able to draw.

Foundling Museum, Grayson Perry tapestry.
I had to draw part of the tapestry before I realised it was a classical reference - the artist's self portrait is in the mirror.

Foundling Museum. Grayson Perry tapestry.  Part of the 6 tapestry Class and Status series.

Smithsonian Museum -
Happy memories of sitting in the atrium drawing the environment , while waiting for the free tour.