Dictionary of Australian Artists
Encyclopedia
The Dictionary of Australian Artists (DAA) was the outcome of a project begun in the 1970s at the University of Sydney
under the leadership of Bernard Smith and funded by the Australian Research Council
. Its development continued after his retirement in 1981 by Joan Kerr (1938–2004), who brought a new standard of inclusivity to a work that had concentrated on mainstream figures.
(COFA) . Mendelssohn's writing students had begun to publish their work online as Artwrite and she was only too aware of the lack of reliable scholarly material on Australian art on the web. She suggested to Kerr that the solution was to take her research online. Mendelssohn enlisted the support of UNSW Librarian Andrew Wells and Neil Brown the COFA Associate Dean Research. When Kerr was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the project became a national effort by scholars in Australian art to ensure that Kerr's legacy would be in part a continuance of her scholarly research. Kerr asked for Vivien Johnson, author of scholarly works on Western Desert artists, to become editor in chief. Before she died on 22 February 2004, she knew that a national partnership of universities, art galleries and libraries was in the process of applying for funding to create the Dictionary of Australian Artists Online .
The first ARC (Australian Research Council) Grant was a partnership headed by UNSW, the Art Gallery of New South Wales
, The National Gallery of Australia
, The National Library of Australia
and the State Library of New South Wales
, the University of Sydney
and the Charles Darwin University
Initially three major books were digitised: the two works by Joan Kerr and one by Vivien Johnson listed below, plus a database of cartoonists prepared previously by Kerr and of prints by Roger Butler of the National Gallery of Australia.. Vivien Johnson, with the assistance of Tess Allas and Laura Fisher also added an extensive database of Aboriginal biographies created as a part of her Storylines project. The first project director was Leonie Hellmers (2005 to 2008)..
In 2010, after a third ARC grant, the DAAO began the process of revising the web site and transforming itself into Design and Art of Australia Online. The current research director is Gillian Fuller, supported by managing editor Olivia Bolton and data manager Jo Croucher . Joanna Mendelssohn and Anita Calloway are joint editors in chief, and Ross Harley is the new lead chief investigator.
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
under the leadership of Bernard Smith and funded by the Australian Research Council
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council is the Australian Government’s main agency for allocating research funding to academics and researchers in Australian universities. Its mission is to advance Australia’s capacity to undertake research that brings economic, social and cultural benefit to the...
. Its development continued after his retirement in 1981 by Joan Kerr (1938–2004), who brought a new standard of inclusivity to a work that had concentrated on mainstream figures.
Online
In early 2003 Joan Kerr found that it was not possible to publish her recent research on Australian Black and White artists. In addition the 1991 edition of the Dictionary was out of print, and being marketed as a rare book, but Oxford University Press were not interested in a new edition. In both cases publishers indicated that the small size of the Australian book market meant that scholarly publications of this nature were no longer a viable financial proposition. Kerr discussed her problem with Joanna Mendelssohn when she was giving a guest lecture to Mendelssohn's Australian art history students at the College of Fine ArtsCollege of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts is the creative arts faculty of the University of New South Wales and is located on Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney, Australia.- History :...
(COFA) . Mendelssohn's writing students had begun to publish their work online as Artwrite and she was only too aware of the lack of reliable scholarly material on Australian art on the web. She suggested to Kerr that the solution was to take her research online. Mendelssohn enlisted the support of UNSW Librarian Andrew Wells and Neil Brown the COFA Associate Dean Research. When Kerr was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the project became a national effort by scholars in Australian art to ensure that Kerr's legacy would be in part a continuance of her scholarly research. Kerr asked for Vivien Johnson, author of scholarly works on Western Desert artists, to become editor in chief. Before she died on 22 February 2004, she knew that a national partnership of universities, art galleries and libraries was in the process of applying for funding to create the Dictionary of Australian Artists Online .
The first ARC (Australian Research Council) Grant was a partnership headed by UNSW, the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
, The National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, The National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
and the State Library of New South Wales
State Library of New South Wales
The State Library of New South Wales is a large public library owned by the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Macquarie Street, Sydney near Shakespeare Place...
, the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and the Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
Initially three major books were digitised: the two works by Joan Kerr and one by Vivien Johnson listed below, plus a database of cartoonists prepared previously by Kerr and of prints by Roger Butler of the National Gallery of Australia.. Vivien Johnson, with the assistance of Tess Allas and Laura Fisher also added an extensive database of Aboriginal biographies created as a part of her Storylines project. The first project director was Leonie Hellmers (2005 to 2008)..
In 2010, after a third ARC grant, the DAAO began the process of revising the web site and transforming itself into Design and Art of Australia Online. The current research director is Gillian Fuller, supported by managing editor Olivia Bolton and data manager Jo Croucher . Joanna Mendelssohn and Anita Calloway are joint editors in chief, and Ross Harley is the new lead chief investigator.
See also
Other reference works covering Australian art include:- McCulloch, Alan Encyclopedia of Australian Art 1st edition 1968, Hutchinson & Co, London ISBN 0-09-081420-7