Introduction to Art Image Access Tools, Standards,
and Strategies
Edited by Murtha Baca
Getty Research Institute
80 pages, 7 x 9 1/2 inches 8 color and 20 b/w illustrations, 8 charts
ISBN 0-89236-666-4 paper, $19.95
Reviewed by Chris Cobb
ldr@leonardo.org
Art Image Access, published by the Getty Research Institute, examines
the many challenges art institutions face when making their collections
available electronically or on the web. This introductory book of data
management ideas and solutions deals with the trickiness of data and
offers many good insights. It discusses for example, the many dilemmas
of the digital archivist. This is a job which demands a plethora of
skills which include not just a librarians attention to detail,
but a good knowledge of databases, of filing, of digital imaging, of
scanning, and if thats not enough, the job demands familiarity
with all sorts of standardized file formats. Combine these skills with
a good eye and a background in art history (depending on specialization)
and you have one very valuable human resource. For most institutions,
however, the absence of a digital archivist means they must have a team
of experts. However, along with a team of experts you get a lot of differing
opinions regarding the choosing and design of a cataloging system. That
is where this book is strong, it uses art terminology to help art professionals
understand the complexity of their undertaking.
Most often it is an arts administrator or an artist who grows into a
job like this. They pick up the technology as it evolves. But unfortunately
the skills of the traditional librarian are often missing from an art
professionals education. So too are the dynamic computer skills
needed to do the job. The task is a challenge even for professional
librarians converting to web-based and electronic access systems. Informed,
responsible planning and the managing of an institutions resources
all wrap up into one goal: art image access.
Sara Shatford Laynes essay addresses the contemporary art professionals
dilemma, defining as best as possible "What is an art image?"
and "What is subject access?" These are simple sounding questions,
but Art Image Access introduces a number of complex contingencies more
akin to the tech world than to the traditional art world. In order to
adequately conserve, record and make available works of art, costs can
quickly outpace the value of the service being offered. For this reason
long term planning is critical but the dilemmas can be as fascinating
as they are problematic.
The fascination is that in our era of pervasive and ubiquitous digital
technology people around the world have access to major libraries from
the Library of Congress to the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris. This
unprecedented worldwide access one of the most amazing things about
the world we live in today.
The problem, however, is this: any institution or individual (a collector,
for example) typically faces a literal sea of images, data and text.
Each class of information has its own peculiar methodologies and standards.
The most potentially confusing element addressed here is that of indexing.
Shatford Layne discusses what a work of art is "of." She uses
the Edward Curtis photograph "the Eclipse Dance" as an example.
This image is a gelatin silver print that depicts several Native American
Indians dancing around a fire. The lighting makes it impossible to make
out the details of their bodies. Some are barely visible through smoke.
"Although it may be obvious," she writes, "the "of"
aspect of a work of art is not necessarily simple." Shatford Layne
asks is this "of a dance?" or "of an eclipse?" She
makes it clear that indexing is harder than it seems. Almost every piece
of electronic information out there is in a database somewhere. This
book, edited by Murtha Baca, head of the Standards Program at the Getty
Research Institute, deals with the "issues, tools, standards and
strategies" of providing art information electronically. The primary
topic is about metadata, or "data about data" which must be
created along rigorous international standards. Some databases stand-alone,
some are institutionally designed networks and yet others are a part
of the Internet. One thing is for certain Ì database design, implementation
and management is a field in itself. People who design databases for
a living typically have a background in computer science not art. However,
as libraries and art organizations have rushed to keep up with technology,
books such as ART IMAGE ACCESS have become very important tools for
learning. The articles are all by professionals in art institutions
and each tackle different problems. This is a good and clear introduction
for the beginner or the art expert looking for guidance.
Articles are by Sara Shatford Layne, head, cataloging Division, Science
and Engineering Library, UCLA Patricia Harping, Managing Editor Getty
Vocabulary Program, Getty Research Institute Colum Hourihane, Director,
Index of Christian Art, Princeton University Christine L.Sundt, Curator
and Professor, Visual resources, Architecture and Allied Arts Library,
University of Oregon, Eugene