Manual for Object Analysis

25 November — 12 December 2021

The Manual for Object Analysis was devised with students on the MA Design History and Material Culture at the National College of Art and Design, a postgraduate course that focuses on understanding objects, systems and spaces in their historic and contemporary contexts.

The Manual for Object Analysis was generated over successive years by a workshop held on the first day of the course when students were asked to answer a simple proposition: what questions would you ask about an object to try to understand it better? The answers are in the form of other questions, which are generative of more questions and indicate prompts for analysing and understanding objects, and the ontological insecurity and impossibility of fully comprehending the material world. The manual is offered in the hope that it will support the exploration of objects and their histories and an ethical consideration of where things come from and how they are used.

The Manual for Object Analysis is available at Dublin Art Book Fair 2021: Manual and to download below.

Dublin Art Book Fair 2021: Manual is sponsored by Henry J Lyons and supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.

Download the Manual for Object Analysis