Ideas worth spreading

How I learned to stop worrying and love "useless" art

1,215,095 views |

Luke Syson |

TEDxMet

• October 2013

Luke Syson was a curator of Renaissance art, of transcendent paintings of saints and solemn Italian ladies -- Very Serious Art. And then he changed jobs, and inherited the Met's collection of ceramics -- pretty, frilly, "useless" candlesticks and vases. He didn't like it. He didn't get it. Until one day ...

Luke Syson was a curator of Renaissance art, of transcendent paintings of saints and solemn Italian ladies -- Very Serious Art. And then he changed jobs, and inherited the Met's collection of ceramics -- pretty, frilly, "useless" candlesticks and vases. He didn't like it. He didn't get it. Until one day ...

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Luke Syson

See speaker profile

As a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Luke Syson accesses the richness of European history through sculpture.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

Find a TEDx event near you

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.