Learning to Catalog Art: An Art Documentation Classroom Experience
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VRA Session: Learning to Catalog Art: An Art Documentation Classroom Experience Presenters: Willa Anderson, Katie Carlson, Maria Lentini Moderator: Ann Graf
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Learning to Catalog Art: An Art Documentation Classroom Experience
- 1. Learning to Catalog Art: An Art Documentation Classroom Experience March 23, 2021 Presenters: Willa Anderson, Katie Carlson, Maria Lentini Moderator: Ann Graf Sponsored by:
- 2. Why art (doc)? Katie ● Craft is in my blood ● English & Art History ○ Confederate monuments ○ Artist as myth ● Ann Graf herself Willa ● BFA printmaking ● Still making art! ● Art + LAMs ● Ann & graffiti Maria ● Performance Arts ○ Theatre /set design ○ Aerial arts ● Boston ICA trip ● Ann & graffiti
- 3. Scope of Presentation ● Artwork selection, research, & recording ● Trials and tribulations / decisions made while cataloging ● Issues of equality and representation ● Work permanence (or lack thereof) ● Takeaways and future use
- 4. The Assignment 1. Locate three public works of art 2. Document art 3. Create records for them 4. Reflect on the trials and tribulations 5. Fall in love with cataloging art?
- 5. Finding // Choosing artwork Katie & Willa ● Providence is full of street art ● Willa’s walk home from job interview ● The Avenue Concept ● Unique representation / intersectional identities Maria ● Meeting in the middle (Worcester) ● Online search ● POW! WOW! Worcester ○ Online interactive map ○ Issues with permanence
- 6. Still Here by Gaia (2018)
- 7. The Revolution Starts in the Earth, with the Self by Jess X. Snow (2019)
- 8. Dear Urban Females by AGONZA (2019)
- 9. The Proposal by Tavar Zawacki (2016) POW! WOW! Worcester
- 10. SMILE by Greg Mike (2016) POW! WOW! Worcester
- 11. Boy with a Dolphin by David Wynne (1974)
- 12. Measure twice, record once Katie & Willa ● Cakewalk ● Terrorizing Rhode Islanders ● Chain link fence ● RI Tax Assessor Form ● MATH Maria ● Limited by tools ● Height as a measuring tool ● Approximations ● Security
- 13. Researching artwork Katie & Willa ● Avenue Concept cheat ○ Artist statement ○ Related work (Somnium) ● Emailing the artist ○ Unfiltered access ○ Pseudonyms and self-identification ○ Do people belong in boxes?
- 14. Researching artwork Maria ● POW! WOW! Worcester ○ city sanctioned ○ Links to artist pages ● Contemporary artists ● Statue ○ Multiple locations ○ Commissioned by Raymond P. Harold of First Federal Savings
- 15. Subject analysis/cataloging is HARD Katie & Willa ● Ascribing ‘too much’ meaning ○ RBG collar ● Being outright WRONG ○ Cape Verdean flag ○ Don’t blindly trust ● Meaning that’s ‘missing’ ○ Mental health component ○ Free text / local authority
- 16. Subject analysis/cataloging is HARD Katie & Willa ● Ascribing ‘too much’ meaning ○ RBG collar ● Being outright WRONG ○ Cape Verdean flag ○ Don’t blindly trust ● Meaning that’s ‘missing’ ○ Mental health component ○ Free text / local authority
- 17. Subject analysis/cataloging is HARD: Part 2 Maria ● What you see is what you get ● Contemporary =/= Controlled vocab! ○ is it in ULAN, CONA, AAT...? ○ Free text ● Artist statement = highly specific ○ Ascribed meaning to each work ○ Little chance of error for isness and aboutness ○ Is this a rarity? ● Digital image creation for records ○ Size of work & multiple angles ○ Cars & other obstructions
- 19. Ephemerality Katie & Willa ● Two artworks still present ● POOF > redone every year ● Back of facade: ○ Sagie Vangelina, Afro-Domnican painter and muralist ○ Tribute to Nina Simone + 2020 civil action ● Front of facade: ○ Amy Bartlett White ○ Migratory birds Maria ● Seemingly still there ○ Website reliability ○ There since 2016 ● Permanence of statue vs. mural
- 20. Equity and Representation Katie & Willa ● Still Here ○ RI Native Americans ○ Non-local cis white man ○ GIANT ● The Revolution Starts… ○ Latinx & Palestinian activists ○ Queer Chinese-Canadian RISD grad ○ Viewing impeded by fence ● Dear Urban Females ○ Self portrait & love letter to WOC ○ Local Afro-Latina woman ○ Asked for front, given back of facade Maria ● Selected on style and availability ● Pow!Wow!Worcester ○ 1st year- walkability project ○ 2nd- school engagement ○ 3rd+- Engage the community ○ Represent the culture within community ● (Accidentally) all cis-white men ● Future projects/classes should consider including this
- 21. What did we learn? ● Cataloging is FUN ○ But challenging ○ We appreciate catalogers! ● Balancing detail and accuracy ○ Avoid biases/schemas ○ Forced to back up assertions ● Controlled vocabularies are important, but not infallible ● Sanctioned vs. unsanctioned art ● Cataloging in our lives ○ Willa’s unexpected job ○ Katie runs social media accounts ○ Reach out to artists via social media ○ Critical eye on public artwork ○ Art as a reflection of the community (or maybe not)
- 22. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Artist as myth: ignoring and or hyper focusing on aspects of an artist’s identity >> looked the most at the romanticization of mental health issues by modern teens + sensationalize Looking at confederate monuments, their creation, their defense, and the current controversies around them Ann being why we all took Art Doc really speaks in enthusiasm being CONTAGIOUS
- WILLA For our presentation today, we are going to be covering what brought us to Art Documentation, why we chose the course in the first place. Then we will be going into the final project itself-- how we chose the artwork we cataloged, the process (including the trials and tribulations of original cataloging), as well as touching on some of the bigger discussions this project led to, especially in regards to equality and representation and the ephemerality of public artworks.
- KATIE I, Katie can explain this if y’all want since I think the next one can just be Willa & Maria
- WILLA & MARIA Willa-- I am going to go into a bit more detail with ours once we get to the next slides, so I can be talking about them while people are seeing the work.
- WILLA https://theavenueconcept.org/artworks/still-here
- WILLA https://theavenueconcept.org/artworks/the-revolution-starts-in-the-earth-with-the-self
- WILLA Here is where we should talk about the artwork and maybe include some of the close up images???? // details https://www.providencejournal.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/08/13/women-in-action-wall-to-wall-inspiration-from-muralist-angela-gonzalez/42457821/ I'm pretty sure she is on the board of the avenue concept now! and she's doing more murals
- MARIA Tavar Zawacki (pseudonym ABOVE) 208 feet. DCU Had to get from site. But got artists STORY- Worcester is the mass producers of Valentines, so he showcased that with a proposal to his girlfriend 1 Exchange St, Worcester, MA 01608
- MARIA Only describe vague shapes/ and smile history Salem Street , NEw Start Brain Injury Community center
- MARIA 3 iterations- England, Mayo CLinic Minnesota Here in Worcester. website= “13 feet” one chestnut place office space
- KATIE >> tax assessor form for revolution >> tan piece and then measuring math again
- KATIE >> because i talked to AGONZA >> wanted to be known as AGONZA >> respecting what she wanted >> less freedom, more accuracy https://www.isupportstreetart.com/avenue-concept-completes-three-new-murals-providence/ PUT WHO THAT’S BY >>>>
- POW! WOW! Worcester continues to evolve each year in response to economic, cultural and societal shifts in the city. “From stimulating walkability and improving public safety in year one, concentrating on public schools and arts education in year two and going deeper into the neighborhoods of the city in year three, the committee turned its focus this year on the north side of the city working with the Worcester Housing Authority in a public housing development known as Great Brook Valley.” From Pow Wow Website Scul[tor know the Beatles/ sculpted Beatles/ Ozric tentacles
- KATIE >> first two bullets Ascribing too much meaning = RBG, so we left it out Being WRONG >> red wing blackbird >> CHANGE INFO ON RED WING BLACKBIRD We ran into some issues when it came to the red-wing blackbird, as the AAT provided a false equivalent entry. Cape verdean flag fixed at the last moment >> not the costa rican flag Meaning that’s missing >> mental health component and free text Ascribing too much meaning = RBG, so we left it out Being WRONG >> red wing blackbird Cape verdean flag fixed at the last moment Meaning that’s missing >> mental health component and free text
- WILLA ** slide is SUPPOSED to be the same Meaning that’s missing >> Adding black power and female power in free text (not in authority records) We made the call not to include the mental health components mentioned in the artist statement because it was not something we could objectively see in the work-- we tried to practice paring down what we included to really reflect the artwork, and not our personal interpretation of it.
- Greg Mike easily found on his own website but no record for him in ULAN at the time I did this project His Icon Loudmouf is also not listed in an subject terms, but at least some of his meaning are Same goes for David Wynne statue. Wynne is in ULAN! Yay & most of his subjects listed in the artists’ description of the work were in controlled vocabs. According to Mike: -The Tiger is a symbol of the passion and energy of people. -The Smiley is a nod to the history of design and iconography of Worcester -Symbolizes Positivity through the smiley and bright colors -The Tom Cat is handing out smiles and a reminder of our youth and "staying gold" -The Owl is symbol of wisdom and vision and creativity. -The LoudMouf iconic characters symbolize the voice of our generation reminding folks to speak their minds and open their mouths.
- MARIA goes first, then ZOOM TO US >> WILLA Within the scope of this presentation we can’t give this the time it deserves
- KATIE Who is given the money the space to create art https://slis-students.simmons.edu/2020/01/13/public_art_in_providence/ “This piece was inspired by the undergraduate thesis work of Gavriel Cutipa-Zorn during his time at Brown University. We were unable to find any of his published work regarding the theme of this mural, but if/when it becomes available, it would be added to the record.” -- this is from our record GAIA = female name for the earth
- WILLA