 |
|||||
Slide Filing Scheme(Paraphrased from The Minnesota Slide Classification System, 1984). The Minnesota Art Classification System was begun in the late 1940s by Professor Dmitri Tselos. He aimed to develop an alphabetized, non-numerical method of slide classification containing word categories and their abbreviations. Published in 1959, it has many variations and descendants. Major areas of the classification system now include: AOA (Africa, Oceania, Americas) In general, the major areas of the collection are first divided chronologically or Division by art form or media occurs after the chronological and geographical divisions. These four art forms have further subdivisions: sculpture is subdivided into architectural sculpture, relief, round, and varia, a category for complex sculptural pieces such as altars, fountains, pulpits, sarcophagi, and tombs; painting is subdivided into album, manuscripts, mosaics, murals, pictures, scrolls, stained glass and drawings; minor arts are subdivided by type of material and type of object, such as vessel, furniture, and jewelry. Subdivisions by culture groups, sub-periods, site names, artist names, titles, dates, subjects, etc. are also used to further organize the collection. For example, within most areas of the collection, sculpture and painting are sometimes further divided by subject types, which include categories such as Buddha, Bodhisattva, God, Goddess, Guardian, Myth, Portrait, Men, Women, King, Queen, Genre, History, New Testament, Old Testament, Saint, Still Life. The organization of slides within the collection varies somewhat from area to area. The following is an abbreviated rough guide to divisions within the major areas of the collection: AOA is divided by country or geographical area; then by art form; by culture group; by site name for architecture; sculpture is further divided by object type, such as mask, figure, or staff. Painting is further divided by type such as mural. Minor arts are further divided by type of material and type of object. Within the section for ASIA, the countries of China and Japan are divided by art form; then by time period; and by site name for architecture. Chinese sculpture is subdivided by art type. Chinese painting is subdivided by anonymous artist or known artist and then further by art type. Japanese sculpture and painting are subdivided by anonymous artist and known artist with further subdivisions by art type. Minor arts in both China and Japan are divided first by type of material and then by type of object, such as Shang, Bronze, Vessel, Kuei or Edo, Lacquer, Box. India is divided first by art form; architecture is further divided by time period, then by site name, and building name. Indian sculpture is subdivided by time period, by geographic area, and then by site name or object type, such as Maurya, North Central, Sarnath, Lion Capital. Indian painting before the 15th century is divided by time period and then by painting type. Indian painting from the 15th through the 19th centuries is divided by painting style and school and then within that by manuscript or picture. Minor arts are divided by time period and then further divided by type of material and type of object, such as Indus, Stone, Seal. NEAR EAST ANCIENT is divided by country or geographical area and then by art form. Architecture is organized by site name; sculpture and painting are subdivided first by time period and then by art type; minor arts are divided first by time period and then by type of material, followed by type of object, such as New Kingdom, Stone, Vessel. ISLAMIC is divided by art form; by site name for architecture; painting is divided by art type, such as manuscript, mural, or picture, which is further subdivided by century. Manuscripts are further divided by manuscript type. (Note: Mughal painting is filed with Indian art and not with Islamic art.) Minor arts are subdivided by type of material, by century, and then by object type, such as Metalwork, 19c, Jewelry. PREHISTORIC (western art) is divided by time period, such as Paleolithic; by art form; by major geographic area, such as western Europe or southern Europe; by site name for architecture; by art type for sculpture and painting; and by type of material and type of object for minor arts. ANCIENT (western art) is divided by geographic area and then by art form. Ancient architecture is presumed anonymous and is catalogued by site name. Sculpture and painting are generally divided by a sub-period and then further divided by art type. Sculptural works of known authorship are filed under the artists’ names in the appropriate sub-periods. Minor arts can also be divided by a sub-period or style in some cases, such as in the Aegean area. Minor arts are further divided by type of material and type of object. Greek vase painting is filed under ceramic in minor arts and is subdivided by style with further subdivisions by specific vessel type and artist name when known, for example, Ceramic, Red Figure I, Euphronios, Krater. MEDIEVAL includes a category know as E-XN which contains Early Christian art and East Christian or Byzantine art. The medieval section also includes art from the 5th through 14th centuries in England, Flanders, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and Spain. In the medieval period, architecture is presumed anonymous and is catalogued by site. Beginning with the medieval period, sculpture and painting by unknown artists are catalogued under the abbreviation A.A. and are filed at the beginning of these sections. Works of known authorship follow with the artist filed alphabetically. Minor art is subdivided by type of material and type of object. Fifteenth to nineteenth century western art is subdivided by country and then by art form. Architecture, sculpture and painting have subdivisions for anonymous works and works of known authorship. As usual, architecture is further subdivided by site name and building name. Sculpture and painting are further subdivided by art type as in earlier periods, although in the nineteenth century slides of an artist’s work may be filed chronologically or by subject depending upon the nature of the artist’s oeuvre. Minor arts from the seventeenth century and later are first subdivided by type of use rather than type of material; they are then further divided by a more specific use. For example, furniture may be subdivided into categories such as chair, cupboard, or table. An exception to this rule is vessel which is subdivided by type of material such as ceramic or glass. The twentieth century no longer distinguishes between eastern and western art but includes works of art from all areas of the world. The first subdivision is by country, the second division is by art form. Architecture, sculpture and painting are filed by anonymous artist or known artist, with architecture being further subdivided by site. Sculpture and painting are catalogued first by artist, then by date without regard to preceding types or subject categories. Happenings, performance art, video art and earthworks are classified as sculpture. FILM is divided by director with further subdivision by title. (Films produced by Walt Disney are organized chronologically). There is also a division for actor which is organized alphabetically. PHOTOGRAPHY is divided into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The works are filed by anonymous or known artist and are generally organized chronologically within a particular artist’s work or within the groupings of anonymous works. PRINTS are subdivided by time period; by country; by anonymous or known artist. For filing convenience, the slide labels and filing drawer labels have color codes that indicate the type of art form. For example, architecture is brown, sculpture is yellow, painting is red, minor arts is blue, film and photography are black, prints are purple, popular culture and principles of art are green. The exception to all of the above is the 21st century in which the only division is by artist name. As noted previously, this section of the collection only contains works by artists born after 1960. The color code for all labels for the 21st century is red. Prepared by Virginia Larson - 9/7/2001 Site last modified on January 10, 2008 Send comments and suggestions about this website to arthist@umn.edu. | |||||
|
|||||