Editorial

Abstract

Previous articleNext article FreeEditorialJudy DykiJudy Dyki Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreI have always loved silent films, so I was elated when Michel Hazanavicius's film The Artist garnered so much attention this year and even won Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Picture awards at the 2012 Academy Awards. Georges Méliès and his fantastic, imaginative silent films were at the heart of Martin Scorsese's entrancing film Hugo as well. There is something magical about storytelling without spoken dialogue, where the images on the screen convey all of the information needed to advance the plot. The image transcends language and contains rich meaning if one knows how to interpret it.Many of the articles in this issue of Art Documentation focus on the power and significance of images. Audrey Powers and Barbara Lewis relate how a collection of drawings by Darfuri children which depict the horrors of genocide from a child's perspective was acquired, digitized, and disseminated by the University of South Florida Libraries. The importance of film stills to film studies scholars and the challenges involved in obtaining them are described in detail by Emilee Mathews (and I could not resist a corresponding nod to the Keystone Kops on the cover of this issue). Tammy Ravas and Megan Stark present their University of Montana case study in which a traveling exhibition of Pulitzer-Prize-winning documentary photographs was used to help undergraduate students develop visual literacy skills, including the ability to interpret actions, objects, and symbols. In their article offering guidance on building a fashion research collection, Lindsay King and Russell Clement also discuss the clues conveyed by costume and dress over the centuries to help historians obtain information about a culture. This brings up one of the challenges of visual literacy: while images contain information that can help researchers understand a culture, knowledge of the circumstances and culture in which an image was created is needed for an accurate interpretation of that image. It is the role of art information professionals to help students, scholars, and interested individuals comprehend all of the nuances and implications of images.This issue of Art Documentation is the first produced under the new partnership between the Art Libraries Society of North America and the University of Chicago Press. Just like the Academy Award winners who have limited time to thank everyone who supported them, I can't even begin to acknowledge all of the people who contributed to the successful transition to this new publishing arrangement: ARLIS/NA headquarters staff, Executive Board members, and Communications and Publications Committee members; UCP design, production, editorial, and marketing staff members; the new Art Documentation Editorial Board members; and the authors in this issue who patiently helped us develop the new workflow. A journal, like a great film, succeeds only when a dedicated group of professionals combine their respective skills toward a shared vision. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Art Documentation Volume 31, Number 1Spring 2012 Published for the Art Libraries Society of North America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/665929 Views: 122Total views on this site Copyright 2012 by the Art Libraries Societies of North America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.