Talks 6. Interpreting History and Art

Abstract

“What the Heck is This Thing? Opening Artists’ Books to the User”: This session will address some of the philosophical questions behind describing artists’ books. Thinking of cataloging as performance, how can catalogers best draw the connections between the artist’s intention, description of the object in hand, and the widely varying needs of the user? Book artist William Andrew Myers will show his work in progress, Alpha to Omega, describing the physical processes by which it is being made as well as the philosophical process behind its conception. Rare book cataloger Ann K. D. Myers will use this work as an example to explore ways of describing artists’ books with the goal of bringing users to the materials.; “Performing Outlaws”: Outlaws such as Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Billy the Kid have been embodied and performed in many different ways. Often the performances have violated history and frustrated teachers, historians, librarians, and archivists seeking to maintain and disseminate a true record of the past. How should curators of history cope? How should archivists and librarians document performances that may, or may not, have a historical basis? Should they distinguish between fiction and falsehood? This presentation will examine depictions of American, especially Western, outlaws, and look at how these performances are preserved in institutions such as the American Heritage Center.