ArtLog

ArtLog is a project to create a digital history of the Tyrone Guthrie Residential Artists Centre. The Tyrone Guthrie Centre has been in operation for nearly three decades and during that time has provided an artistic haven for artists working in all media. The impetus for this project came from a need to create an archival strategy for the Centre. While lists can be kept and names recorded, this cannot capture the only activity of note that takes place in the Centre which is the Creativity that flourishes here.
ArtLog has been designed to do just that. A simple software program facilitates residents to archive their profiles and to document the work they do at the Centre. This will create an archive both of the residents at the Centre and the work. This will then be organised and catalogued so that the information can be made available as a scholarly resource for researchers. It is envisaged that this archive will be a permanent record of artistic heritage that will be maintained for future generations.
ArtLog is a joint project between the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and the Library and Digital Media Centre of the Dublin Institute of Technology and has been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.

System Design

ArtLog is divided into two sections. The first section captures the individual's Profile. Much of this will be deposited automatically from the application form that was submitted for residency. The Profile is intended to provide a short biography of the individual with a longer description of their artistic history such as work completed, awards, exhibitions and any other relevant information. In the course of their stay artists can amend and edit their Profile. However, at the end of their stay, the Profile is locked down and cannot be edited again until the artist's next visit. Keeping this record will create a permanent history of those who are active in the Irish Arts whether they are just at the beginning or reaching the end of their careers.

The second section is the Entries. This is similar to keeping an online diary but the diary entries will be focussed on the particular artistic work in hand. Before starting the Entries the artist will make a Statement about the work they have come to the Centre to do. This can include the concepts behind the work, what stage it is at and what the artist is hoping to achieve during their stay.
After the Statement the artist can then submit as many Entries as they like. This is basically a blank page on which the artist is asked to reflect about the work they are doing, what difficulties are being met, what progress is being made, how the work is changing. There is a facility to attach images, audio clips or photographs to each Entry. Keeping this record will create a narrative around the work and create a permanent record of the process which is the mental and physical activity that is required to take the abstract concept and give it physical form.
At the end of their stay, the artist is asked to make an Exit Statement which is essentially a summation of how their visit has gone, what the stage the work is now at and what is going to happen next.

Privacy

Any material that is entered into ArtLog is the intellectual property of the artist and no use can be made of that material without expressed permission. The licence the artist signs on joining ArtLog merely gives the Centre the right to migrate the contents of the archive onto new systems as these become available over time. As the integrity of the archive must be preserved only the artist can made and amend entries, no-one else can interfere with this data.
Currently, all access to ArtLog is by password and individuals select their own passwords. Only those with password access to the System and those artists resident in the Centre can make and read the Entries.

Technical Ability

ArtLog is primarily a text based system as this is more amenable to long term preservation. Therefore, the ability to type is helpful but material can be copied and pasted from documents. Other than that, the system is very simple to us and to date artists have become very comfortable with the software in a matter of minutes.
If an artist is not comfortable with text or is unable to type, the option exists to use a digital tape recorder. However, such entries would have to be transcribed and this would be dependant on staff being available to carry out this function.

The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is unique. Here, in this beautiful natural setting, there is a community of creative people engaged in creative activity in an environment dedicated to their creativity. This is a special place and its history is important. As artists are the sole reason for its existence it is appropriate that they record its history.
One of the stipulations of Sir Tyrone Guthrie's bequest to the Irish Nation was that artists should meet daily for dinner and talk together. He believed that artists were fundamentally important to a Society and what they had to say mattered. Therefore, we like to think that he would have approved of our project and wished it well.

By contributing to ArtLog artists create the history of the Centre. However, reflecting on the process while actively engaged in it can stimulate more creativity by leading to new ideas, insights and resolution of problems. The making of a work of art is an intellectual as well as a physical process. Reflection can help to inform the process and feed back into the work. Artists who have contributed to ArtLog have found this to be true particularly when it is a daily activity that becomes part of their personal routine. If you are interested in using ArtLog in your working life away from the Centre please contact Yvonne Desmond by emailing Yvonne.desmond@dit.ie