Chronology

The arrangement of events in the order in which they occured in time; sequential order. Or, a list, a survey, or exhibition which is sequenced in this way. Such linear narratives follow an easy logic, but can be oppressive. The most commonly employed alternative model is thematic.Quote: "Chronological surveys typically misrepresent the history of art as a seamlessly coherent narrative. . . . art historians have fetishized a chronological, diachronic model based on causality and often teleology that supports a linear model of history and an elitist, exclusive lineage of art." Patricia Matthews, contemporary American art historian, Art Journal, 1995. Also see abecedarian, composition, excavate, horology, periodicity, rhythm, shard, and taxonomy.