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Abstract
The University of Stirling Archives and Glasgow School of Art recently undertook a number of projects in collaboration with artists, designers and galleries to create new work inspired by the study of their collections, bringing their archives to new audiences. These collaborations provided an insight into the art and design world's attitude to archives. The discussions held and decisions made highlighted the tensions often present between archival methods and creative choices and highlighted the visual, aesthetic beauty of archives, something the profession often overlooks, preoccupied with the evidential value of the material we manage. This article looks at the issues raised by these often fretful, but always fruitful collaborations.
Notes
[1] Foster, An Archival Impulse, 3–22.
[2] Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, 31.
[3] Eichler, Frieze, 136–141.
[4] Dean, Teignmouth Electron, 1–72.
[6] It should be noted that the creative content of an archive collection is not a prerequisite for working with creative practitioners. For example, The Baring Archive and University of the Arts London collaborated on the re:SEARCHING: playing in the archive project in 2010 in which new work was produced inspired by items such as bank ledgers, nineteenth century correspondence and Argentinean bearers bonds. For further information see Lovegrove, 23.
[8] http://www.is.stir.ac.uk/libraries/collections/spcoll/media/grierson.php and http://www.is.stir.ac.uk/libraries/collections/spcoll/McLarenHome.php
[9] In July 2010 the Scottish Arts Council became Creative Scotland.
[10] Awaken, 42.
[11] Awaken, 96.
[12] Sutcliffe made his name with a series of video works resembling pieces of ‘found footage’ which are actually created from a number of separate audio and video sources subtly re-edited and merged by the artist—described in one review as having ‘that hard-to-define quality of being a pre-existing, unedited out-take’.
[13] Thorne, Frieze, 102–103.
[14] These large reproductions provide a colourful example of the artist creating new material from the archive and actively using the material held in the repository in a new way.
[16] Again, as with the new items created for the Anderson exhibition the quality of the works ensures their long-term value—these works now hang on the walls of our new archives reading room in the University of Stirling Library.
[17] Another exhibition at the Changing Room gallery in Stirling by the artist Ben Rivers which used the Grierson Archive as a starting point for the work opened in July 2011. GSA's archives continue to be used for in-house creative projects.
[18] The praise for the exhibitions included in the visitor books for the Stirling exhibitions vindicated the university's decision to engage in these collaborative projects.
[19] Recent exhibitions include ‘Unfolding the Aryan Papers’, Jane and Louise Wilson, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, 7 August–26 September 2009; ‘The Last Days of Jack Sheppard’, Anja Kirschner and David Pannos, CCA Glasgow, 8 August–26 September 2009; ‘re:SEARCHING – playing in the archive’, Chelsea College of Art and Design, The Baring Archive, 7 May–4 June 2010.