Documentation

From the Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) packet "Presenting Your Work" written by Leslie J. Klein, edited by Ann Rosenthal and published by the WCA.

Articles and reviews are public documentation of your accomplishments, so use them well. Reproduce them in the best possible manner, keeping in mind all the rules of composition and impact that you apply to your artwork. When photocopying, make sure the paper is straight, the background is not distracting, and the print is clear.

It is important to include the name of the publication and the date the article appeared. Photocopy the article with this information. If it is not conveniently found immediately adjacent to the article, you may type a caption for the photocopy.

You may also cut and paste the masthead and/or section heading of the newspaper, or the title of the magazine, and the date, above the article. Create a montage it photos or other references to your work are scattered throughout the article or publication. Mount the composition onto a white background, and then make your photocopies. You may have to enlarge or reduce these components separately for proper scale as you compose the layout, but the finished product will be worth it.

If there is an accompanying photograph, work on the BEST reproduction you can get. If the photo is in color, you might consider laser color copies, available at selected copy centers. Some copiers can also screen photographs resulting in a sharper image with greater tonal range. Remember to put your name on these pieces as well

SLIDES

First, be honest with yourself. If you cannot take professional photographs of your work because you lack the time, the expertise, the equipment, the space or the patience, hire a photographer or work out a trade. Your reputation rests on it.

If you decide to do the photography yourself, here are some basic rules to follow.

Image

Photograph the entire image and only the image. When you are photographing work that has regular edges, the image should almost fill the frame. Keep in mind that when slides are duplicated, the image enlarges slightly. If the image doesn't fit the dimensions of the slide format exactly, you can use 1/4 inch opaque black or silver pressure-sensitive graphic tape on the back of the slide to mask the background. This tape can be purchased at stores that sell photographic equipment or graphic design materials.

To insure that parallel edges of the work are parallel to the edges of the slide and don't appear tilted, position the camera on a direct line to the center of the piece. Sculpture and irregularly shaped pieces should be photographed on a clean, plain neutral background such as a wall, photographers' background paper or solid cloth. For small three-dimensional work, you can use a wide roll of white paper.

Pin the paper to the wall and then drape it over the stand. This provides a smooth, seamless background for your work. When finished, re-roll the paper to use next time. Do not include yourself, the wall plug, interesting knickknacks, or the lawn chair on which the piece is propped. Invite the cat out if she tends to sit on the object of your labors.

Lighting

Lighting is the key to successful slides. The light should be flat and even over the entire image, with no glare or "hot spots" that will obscure or distort the image. Under normal circumstances, when shooting artwork indoors with artificial light, use equal lighting on both sides of the camera. Light stands with reflectors and the appropriate bulbs may be placed on both sides of the work at equal distance and equal angles, so there are no shadows visible on the surface. An exception may be for work such as embossed pieces where a subtle shadow is essential to reveal the image. It is best to shoot after dark so only the artificial light is used.

Use the film designed for the lighting conditions you will be using. If you shoot outdoors or indoors, if you use incandescent or fluorescent lighting, or shoot in a professional studio using completely controlled lighting, match the film and the lighting to your situation to obtain true color representation. The professionals in a photo lab or camera store can help you in your selection of supplies and equipment.

Professional photographers recommend using a light meter with a gray card and bracketing your shots (above and below the indicated f-stop) for each piece. Artwork does not always reproduce accurately by a camera's automatic settings or by standard lighting charts.

IF YOUR SLIDES TURN OUT TOO DARK OR TOO WASHED OUT, DUMP THEM IMMEDIATELY or you might succumb to the temptation to use them "just this once."

Labeling

Always label all of your slides. Never send them anywhere under any circumstances without your name and copyright notification on them, even when you send them to the photo lab to be duplicated.

There are several ways to label slides, and there is no uniform standard. Basically, labels should be easy to read and difficult to rub off. Typewritten labels look best, but they can be hand-printed neatly, using a fine or extra-fine point pen with a crisp line and indelible ink. Plastic mounts do not take well to most inks, so you might consider stick-on labels, which can also be used on cardboard mounts. If you use labels, make sure the adhesive is fresh enough so that the edges adhere smoothly and lay flat. Moistened gum labels do not stay on very well over a length of time and exposure to the heat of a protector. Put the labels on the front of the slide so that the image is correct as you are looking at it.

Quite a bit of information can fit on the slide mount if you are careful. The most important thing about the format is to be consistent in your method and layout from slide to slide, so they look neat and professional on a slide page. Usually, the following things are requested:

• Name and address
• Title, media and size
• Top of the slide, red dot
• Year or completion with copyright symbol

First, put your name and address along one wide edge of the slide frame. The small name and address labels advertised through mail order catalogs fit nicely along this wide edge, although some may need to be trimmed. A small rubber name stamp can also be used, provided the ink is non-smear. If there is not enough room on the front, your name and address can go on the back of the slide.

The title of the work, media and size can be placed on the other wide edge. Indicate by abbreviation or diacritical marks the measurements in feet, inches or metric equivalent, for first the height and then the width of two-dimensional pieces, adding the depth measurement last for three-dimensional work.

Always mark the top of your slide either with an arrow or the word "TOP", no matter how obvious you think the image is. The red dot that is often requested in a corner of the slide serves a purpose-it is usually for placement in a slide projector. Most people use a Kodak-type carousel, in which the slide must be inserted upside-down. Therefore, the red dot should be placed in the lower left-hand corner, so that when the slide is upside-down, it will be visible to the projectionist using a standard carousel.

If this sounds tricky to you, turn the slide upside-down, and behold, the dot should now appear in the upper right-hand corner exactly where the projectionist can see it in the tray. This way, the operator of the machine can check that all the slides are inserted properly, and can easily find one that is not. Occasionally, instructions may be given to put the dot somewhere else, probably because of differing viewing techniques. Do what they ask.

Federal copyright regulations date from the time of "publication" or public exposure, including the use of a slide or photo. This may or may not coincide with the actual date of completion of the work. On one hand, artists often work on pieces intermittently, which can confuse the dating process; on the other hand, dealers are interested in the actual time period of the work. Thus it is best to put the copyright notification and the year on the work when it is completed, even if you plan to keep it tightly rolled and stored in the closet.

In addition, the copyright symbol and year should be put on all photographs and reproductions of the piece. It can be conveniently placed on the narrow edge of the slide mount. For detailed information on copyright law, consult the many handbooks available.

Packaging Your Slides

Always keep your slides protected. When you send slides, this protective packaging should be reusable for their safe handling and return. If you are sending many slides, use archival-quality plastic slide sheets available in photography stores. These hold 20 slides and can also be cut into strips for sending fewer slides. Be careful, though, not to cut the sealed edges of the "windows." Again, the stick-on name and address labels can be put along the side of the sheet for identification.

Small coin envelopes, with your name and address labels on them, can be used for sending one, two, or three slides, but should not themselves be considered adequate

return envelopes. Slip a small piece of cardboard in the envelope to prevent bending. Do not store slides in these, for neither the envelope nor the cardboard are archival quality. It is not good practice to tape slides together or tape them between pieces of cardboard, and NEVER send a loose slide.

Slide List

An accompanying slide list is generally appreciated. First, put your name at the top-it is surprising how easy this is to forget! Then list the slides, numbered in order of their arrangement in the slide sheet pockets. Include the basic information of title, media and size and, if requested, price. Make a notation if the slide is of a detail of a work, or shot from a different view. If a detail slide follows one of the total piece, it is not necessary to repeat all the basic information, but in some cases, you may want to note specific identifying characteristics.

You can also take this opportunity to include a sentence or two about each image because of the nature of the work. Make sure to keep a copy of your slide list for your files, annotated with the date, the place, and the person to whom you are sending it.

It is sometimes problematic to number the slides themselves because of the frequency with which they are reused. If you have plastic slide mounts, you can use small stickers for the numbers, as they are easily enough removed for the next time. Unfortunately, stickers are not so easily peeled from cardboard mounts, and if you simply pile one on top of the other, that slide is likely get stuck in a projector. You can use a pencil on cardboard mounts, which then can be easily erased.

If you are a video or performance artist and you are sending a video cassette, write a brief description of what the viewer will see. Include the viewing time of the tape. Again, be sure your name and the title of the video are at the top of the page. Keep a copy of this description for your records.