Data Visualization / Expressive Dimensions

Led by Damon Crocket and Paul Messier
Wednesday, September 25, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Data visualization of key material and visual properties of photographs open the door to the discovery of affinities and outlier prints within and across collections. Work in Yale’s Lens Media Lab to characterize prints in artist archives, such as F. Holland Day, Harry Callahan, and August Sander, opens new doors for more nuanced and incisive understanding of printing techniques. Standardized methods of characterizing chemical and visual attributes develop greater scholarly discernment and acuity through graphical and statistical renderings of a photographer’s approach to materials over time. Next steps including the development of these tools for conservators and, more broadly, for researchers in the humanities. Discussion will include how such methods can be adapted for existing research and what new questions can now be considered.