A hamsa, the identification symbol of the Visual Arts WikiProject. (From the interview: “Universally, visual art involves the eye and the hand, perception and creation. [The Hamsa] seems like a good iconic representation of these principles.”)
Who wrote the English Wikipedia’s articles about Vincent Van Gogh’s and Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings, or about sculpture, landscape art and abstract impressionism? There’s a good chance it was a member of WikiProject Visual Arts, a collaboration of editors who contribute to Wikipedia’s visual arts coverage. The current issue of the “Wikipedia Signpost,” the community’s weekly newsletter, has an interview with several Wikipedians involved in the WikiProject, which was started in 2005 and whose scope now encompasses nearly 16,000 articles. The interviewees include an art librarian, an artist and an art history student, but also several people who developed a deep interest in art besides their own professions. Here are some of the things they said about their work:
On motivations to contribute:
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I’m a student who vacillates between making art and writing about it. “Early 20th century German art” probably best defines my academic research focus, but what I enjoy about editing WP is how it allows me to write about anything and everything from Nasreddine Dinet to Master L. Cz. to Double spout and bridge vessels to Inuit culture to Hus. I guess my greatest fear as I prepare to go on to graduate school for art history is becoming what the Germans would call a “fachidiot” – an academic so engrossed in their particular field of specialization that they lose sight of the wider range of their subject. If nothing else, editing WP keeps me familiar with areas of art history that would otherwise be outside my specialty. |
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I’m interested in contemporary international art. The art world can be international and easily span continents. Artists hail from countries but there seems to exist a world stage on which artworks are viewed with disregard for nationality. I think English is a language more employed across the international art world than any other language. I think this would place a responsibility on the English Wikipedia to strive for excellence in its coverage of the visual arts. |
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On the value of collaboration:
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I work primarily as a copyeditor, though at the time I had access to an excellent library as well, and what made the articles so much fun to work on was the knowledge that I had a solid group of editors collaborating with me. These editors [...] all had their own strengths and specialties and could always be relied on both for help and constructive criticism. |
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On the collaboration with cultural institutions (GLAMs):
On challenges:
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The most difficulty that I have encountered in my time editing Wikipedia has been in relationship to Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh is an enormously famous figure who generates tremendous interest worldwide and consequently controversy goes with the territory… |
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On opportunities to get involved:
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There is plenty for new members to do, so long as they have good and up to date references, which most libraries have, and can also increasingly be found online. We very recently got a huge release of good images to Commons from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore which need further categorizing and using in articles – there are nearly 20,000 images at the Commons Category:Collections of the Walters Art Museum. Anyone who wants help or suggestions will be very welcome at the project talk page, where we have a very incomplete “To do” list. This is the home of the supposedly extinct “low-hanging fruit”… |
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Translation is a great way for new people to get involved, as translating an article is certainly less of a reach than researching the entire thing yourself. Every time I go onto foreign language wikis I run into great articles without English equivalents, just waiting to be translated. Etruscan sculpture (FA [featured article] in Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan), Spanish Baroque painting (FA in Spanish), The Yellow Cow (a Franz Marc painting, FA in German), Loss of books in late antiquity (FA in German, also a substantial article in French and Danish) etc. etc. Any takers? |
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Examples of visual art covered in Wikipedia:
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The Royal Gold Cup made for the French royal family in the 14th century
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Read the full interview with Wikipedia editors TonyTheTiger, Modernist, Johnbod, Kafka Liz, Ceoil, Lithoderm (Petropoxy) and Bus stop in this week’s Wikipedia Signpost:
- “WikiProject report:Views of WikiProject Visual Arts“
and check back early next week for the upcoming issue of the community newsletter.
Tilman Bayer
Senior Operations Analyst (Movement Communications)
