Art Documentation in the Information Age: Changing Models of Access and Use

摘要

In writing my first "News from the Field" for Visual Resources (VR) it has become clear to me that we are at a watershed moment in which cultural institutions are beginning to consider how their role in supporting existing and new forms of scholarship with primary source materials will change with the use and incessant evolution of information technologies. I believe that primary source materials, like the ones frequently featured in this journal, will play an increasingly important role in art-historical scholarship. VR has been on the forefront in the field because of its pioneering view that visual documentation, including primary source materials, is a vital resource for understanding the history of art and more generally interpreting visual culture at large.