ARTISTS' VIDEO COLLECTIONS: THE BANFF EXPERIENCEAuthor(s): Bob FoleySource: Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 5,No. 3 (Fall 1986), pp. 111-112Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27947613 .

Accessed: 14/06/2014 18:57

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The University of Chicago Press and Art Libraries Society of North America are collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmerica.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 188.72.96.157 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 18:57:25 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Art Documentation, Fall, 1986 111

ARTISTS' VIDEO COLLECTIONS: THE BANFF EXPERIENCE by Bob Foley

Head Librarian The Banff Centre Library

Technology in the past fifteen years has had a great impact on artistic exploration and expression. Video by artists has become widely accepted by galleries and the viewing public. The distribution of video art, however, has been problematic, whether it has been disseminated by closed circuit television, cable television, gallery screening or broadcast television. Art libraries could potentially be a good alternative in the presen tation and study of video art.

The Banff Centre School of Fine Arts is a small conservatory of the arts in Banff, Alberta, Canada. In 1979, the school began to offer year-round studio programs for advanced students

who had already earned a bachelor's or master's studio degree. As a result, more sophisticated library needs were identified to support the new studio programs, not only in traditional media, but also in developing media such as video.

Video art was first considered in the library after Brian Mac Nevin, then assistant curator of the Walter Phillips Gallery, suggested our involvement. MacNevin was interested in pur chasing a small collection of artists' video for teaching pur poses. His plan was to accession the collection into the gallery's permanent collection. However, the presentation of the collection (indeed the presentation of all video art) was problematic. These problems have been all well docu mented in museum and gallery literature. During subsequent discussions it was decided that the library facilities might be a better venue for the art works. The rationale for this course of action included:

1) Normal gallery/museum presentation was awkward because of the regimented screening and group presenta tion format. The library could screen on demand for individuals.

2) The collection could get maximum exposure, being avail able during library hours (84 hours per week).

3) It would allow the viewer to screen tapes selectively, use freeze frame features on the VCR, and have repeated screening of sequences. This process, in effect, resembles the way one might read a book.

4) It was a popular distribution venue, more so than a gallery or museum where shared experience in screening tends to lower the quality of the experience for the individual user.

5) Screening in this manner could give the library and the gallery better information concerning user preference and user needs.

6) The library was already equipped to screen video.

The library proceeded to present video on an experimental basis. Close attention was paid to user acceptance of the col lection and to deterioration of the collection through use.

Twelve tapes were purchased. Funding came jointly from the gallery, the library, and the Canada Council. Our first year with this arrangement was very successful. User acceptance was very high, deterioration was minimal, security was not a prob lem. It was obvious, though, that the limited size of the collec tion could result in deterioration problems in the future.

The decision was made to continue developing the collec tion, and holdings now include about eighty tapes. Because it is an educational resource, historical tapes documenting the

early years of video art are still the major part of the collection. Some recent works have been added, notably the collection from "The Second Link: Viewpoints on Video in the Eighties" exhibition and tapes depicting issues of interest to artists. As part of the joint holdings of the library and the permanent collection of the Walter Phillips Gallery, selections are made by the Head Librarian and the curatorial staff of the gallery. Funding still continues from the three original sources.

The sources from which to purchase video by artists are confused and varied. Some tapes are available from galleries representing artists, some from the artists themselves and some tapes from both sources. Prices vary wildly and seem to be open to negotiation with the artists, although purchasing from galleries is usually more routine. The technical quality of the product from either source may be questionable. Finally, many artists put very strict conditions on the playback of the tapes. We have adhered to these conditions wherever possi ble and have avoided purchasing tapes that might burden us, which is a major difference between a strict gallery presenta tion and that of a library.

The quality of a screening facility is very important since art works should be viewed with the fidelity envisioned by the artist. At present, only NTSC standard video is collected.

Where tapes by international artists have been collected either a NTSC tape was available, or it was converted for our purposes. While there is PAL equipment on campus, the library has standardized its collection for the present and has provided a nineteen-inch Sony CVM color monitor equipped with headphones and a Sony VP5000 playback vieocassette deck. Seating is provided by comfortable armchairs.

As mentioned before, there was some deterioration detected in heavily used tapes during the experimental phase despite good handling practices. As a result, when purchasing further tapes we attempted to negotiate the right to duplicate our purchased copy for preservation purposes: the original would be stored and a copy was made available to the public. Since in many cases we were able to do so, our costs of upkeep are minimal compared to the value of the collection.

Where we were unable to negotiate the right to copy, we plan to replace the tapes when they deteriorate enough to with draw them from the collection. The stored originals are played several times a year to prevent signal transfer.

The acceptance of the collection is very high. In our winter program there are only fifty students. In the summer approx imately 200 students fill our programs. Even with such a lim ited number of participants all tapes receive a high level of use. Several tapes have been screened over 100 times in the last two years. Each screening usually involves more than one patron, so the actual impact is greater than is apparent by the statistics alone. The novelty of this type of material has not worn off, although vid?ocassettes have become com monplace over the last several years. Our presentation of art video in this manner has met the expectations of our users. It is no longer a precious object in the mind of the library user. As a library, we have treated art video like any video

medium in our collection, regardless of price and conditions. In an educational art library nothing can substitute for video

This content downloaded from 188.72.96.157 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 18:57:25 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

112 Art Documentation, Fall, 1986

THE

KNOEDLER LIBRARY

Auction Catalogues on Microfiche from the British Auction House

Christie's 1792-1970

Auction Catalogues on Microfiche

Titles Available: AMERICAN AUCTIONS American Art Association, 1884-1939 Fiche 296 $ 740.00

American Art Galleries, 1886-1929 Fiche 474 $1,185.00 Anderson Art Galleries, 1911-1939 Fiche 339 $ 847.50

Philadelphia Auctions, 1883-1970 Fiche 177 $ 442.50

Selected American Auctions, 1835-1970 Fiche 730 $1,825.00

BRITISH AUCTIONS Christie's, 1792-1970 Selected English Auctions, 1748-1966

(excluding Christie's and Sotheby's)

Fiche 2,077 $5,400.00

Fiche 809 $2,022.50

FRENCH AUCTIONS Hotel Drouot, 1854-1970 Fiche 1,442

George Petit, 1881-1932 Fiche 644

Charpentier, 1933-1960 Fiche 301

Palais Galleria, 1960-1970 Fiche 287

Selected French Auctions, 1774-1970 Fiche 391

INTERNATIONAL AUCTIONS Belgium Auctions, 1819-1968 Fiche 264

Dutch Auctions, 1816-1970 Fiche 400

German Auctions, 1876-1970 Fiche 639

Selected International Auctions, 1845-1970 Fiche 473

Also Available: SALONS & ANNUALS CATALOGUES French (1673-1970) including the L'Acad?mie

Royale catalogues from Paris

Germany (1889-1914) American (1832-1969)

$3,605.00 $1,610.00 $ 752.50

$ 717.50

$ 977.50

$ 660.00

$1,000.00 $1,600.00 $1,182.50

Fiche 1,374 $3,435.00 Fiche 69 $ 172.50 Fiche 508 $1,270.00

EXHIBITION CATALOGUES New York (1876-1971)

including the Knoedler catalogues Fiche 1,940 $4,850.00 American (1889-1970) Fiche 1,950 $4,875.00 British (1813-1970) Fiche 1, 715 $4,287.50 French (1855-1971) Fiche 942 $2,355.00

Germany (1888-1970) Fiche 712 $1,780.00 International (1873-1970) Fiche 1,887 $4, 717.50

M. KNOEDLER 19 East 70th Street

New York, NY 10021, USA Telephone: (212) 794-0550

Contact: Cam Newell

art, for it must be seen to be studied. We cannot imagine that any art library covering contemporary art would be complete without it.

The management of video by artists is not without pitfalls, however. Regardless of what media are collected in a library, there will always be some problems. There is no interlibrary loan traffic possible with the tapes because of the contractual obligations most galleries and artists will stipulate to ensure the possibility of rental income on the tapes. This is unfortu nate for the artists because they rarely see significant rental income. The increased use of their video by libraries might promote their work and result in more sales. It would also encourage libraries to become part of the distribution network.

The contractual inflexibility cited above has already worked directly to the detriment of one artist we have purchased work from. The library holds the only copy of a British artist's tape in North American format. The library had paid for the cost of transfer at the time of purchase. The artist later wanted copies sent to other galleries for screenings. We cited our inability to do so under the terms of the contract that the artist had insisted upon originally. We resisted the artist's request not only for the contractual reasons (which could have been nego tiated), but also because we were reluctant to become the North American distributor for this artist by default.

Another problem is the donation of tapes. Often visiting artists who have seen the library facility want to donate tapes. They realize that it is to their advantage to appear in collec tions of this type so their work may become better known. This can sometimes work to the library's advantage, but tapes are only accepted by agreement with the Head Librarian and the Gallery Curator. They are accepted with no conditions except the right of copyright held by the artist. In the past, artists have expected us to distribute their tapes and prepare them for our archives but the gallery and the library are not prepared to do this at the present time.

As mentioned before, standardization in format is also a considerable problem. Equipment is becoming cheaper and transfers are becoming technically more simple, but there is still some distance to go before small collections such as ours will be able to cope with this problem.

The Banff Centre Library and the Walter Phillips Gallery have had very good experience with video by artists. For smaller college collections such as ours, remote from major facilities which exist in New York, Los Angeles or Toronto, video by artists has a very important role to play in providing high-quality art library services to students and faculty. While the inclusion of actual art works in educational libraries out side the museum setting may be a fairly radical policy for some librarians, it is a logical development from both the expectations of library users and the media form itself.

The author wishes to acknowledge the advice and support of Brian MacNevin, Lome Falk, Joan Weir and Tom Sherman who helped make this collection possible.

THE COMPLETE TITLE INDEX OF 26,000 VOLUMES

OF SALES, EXHIBITIONS AND SALONS IN THE KNOEDLER LIBRARY ON MICROFICHE 55 FICHE $75.00

This content downloaded from 188.72.96.157 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 18:57:25 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions