VERY interesting issue, Allison. This
brings all kinds of 21st-century questions to mind. Our mechanical
answer to your question (and Frances Francis, correct me if I’m wrong) is
that in the Media module, we created a Media Type called “a study image”
to indicate the digital snapshot of the work of art. Also called “reference
images,” we then know that this image was not taken professionally or
scanned at reproduction-quality resolution.
However, just a few of the questions I
think of are:
1. Do the 19 digital files have a value?
Will you insure them? Can they be given an appraisal value for tax purposes on
the gift?
2. Does the artist consider the digital
file the “artwork,” or the prints generated from them? Is the
artist overseeing the print production or approving color balance, etc.? The
definition of “original artwork,” which has traditionally been
defined as a work made by or under the direct supervision of the artist, comes
into question here. Perhaps your exhibition prints should be handled in the
same way as, for example, posthumous etchings from original plates or modern
casts of ancient sculpture.
3. Will your production of prints from the
digital files be limited, or editioned, in any way? If not, one could create
and accession new objects indefinitely, so yes, I think it does matter.
Laurie Hicks
From: The Museum
System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Smith, Allison
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005
4:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Cataloguing digital
images, and surrogates made from original transparencies
Dear
TMS users -
Our
museum was recently gifted 19 digital images, which currently reside on our
server (we scanned them from original slides, and returned the slides to the
artist). I have assigned accession numbers to the digital scans, and am
starting to catalogue these as digital images into TMS. Here's my
dilemma. Printed surrogates of these images will be created, and likely used
for exhibition purposes.
We
have a similar problem in that we own original transparencies, which I've
catalogued as such into TMS, but we have had photographs made from these
transparencies, which are being used for exhibition.
I'm
wondering how best to track these surrogates, and make sure that information
about them makes sense for checklists and wall labels. I am thinking that I
will need to create a separate TMS record for the surrogates, instead of
linking them on the media tab (as one would most surrogates), since the data
(medium, dimensions, object name) used for the checklist and wall label, should
(logically) reflect the print facsimile, and not the original
scan/transparency. However, the accession number for the gifted
scan/transparency, should probably be used on the checklist/label...and not the
number assigned to the facsimile/surrogate (does anyone have an opinion about
this?). AARRGGHH!
Has
anyone ever had a similar situation? How did you deal with it in TMS?
Does
anyone think that instead of accessioning the digital scans, I should accession
the first set of prints we make from them? (this doesn't seem
right...but...does it really matter?)
Thanks
for any and all opinions, and advice.
Allison
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the warhol:
Allison A.
Smith
Collection
Manager / Database Administrator
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The Andy
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One of the four Carnegie Museums of
Pittsburgh
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They always say time changes things, but you actually have
to change them yourself -- Andy Warhol
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