Instagram as an interpretive tool?#InstaManRay as a Case Study

Margaret Collerd SternberghThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston@margienchargie

Brooke RosenblattThe Phillips Collection@brookebarbin

Man Ray Human Equations: A Journey from Mathematics to Shakespeare

Contemporary photograph of mathematical model

Man Ray’s 1934 photograph of the same mathematical model

Man Ray’s 1948 painting, King Lear

@InstaManRay2015

#InstaManRay

@InstaManRay2015

#InstaManRay

2,238Submissions

27 per day

Did we meet our learning goals?

89%Followed instructions and took photo of mathematical model

11%Did not follow the prompt . . .

3% photo of holster, 3% other, 6% selfie

selfies . . . an indicator of engagement?

challenges: maintenance, touching, and unwanted followers

Can instagram be an in-galleryinterpretive tool?