Data Base

Over the last several weeks we have been working on the reconstruction of the Warburton Collection database to make it comprehensively functional and accessible and also, for the first time in 20 years, have all the work out in a way that could be viewed by Yarnangu as a collection they could see. To do this we worked with a Melbourne data consulting firm called Carbon Data Solutions to design entirely new software specifically tailored to our needs. We needed both simplicity and an extensive scope of applications within the software such as the creation of exhibition check lists, condition reports and venue check forms, but also the ability to add multi media data elements and substantial cross referencing.

The last entries of paintings establishing the collection as a whole were completed on Wednesday 18th by Natalie at ten minutes to five - next morning Nat flew out for a few weeks (back in October for the Felt project). Both Natalie and Carl had worked so hard to get this stage finished and with that it was the end of a crucial first part, the entries of the all the works in the painting collection as accession numbers. Each entry needed to be re-photographed, have dimensions taken and notes of inscriptions on the reverse of the works. This happened for over seven hundred paintings over a six week period. When we had visitors (see the blog elsewhere) during this time we adapted, but it made the work quite intense. And it is only the beginning, a sound and very functional foundation to add all the material we have to as we go along. There will be new categories for the glass, textile and paper collections as well.

It is unusual for us to give testimonials to commercial companies, but Scott Porter at Carbon Data has been really great to work with and given us an excellent asset. We had so much support during the development of the data base and the use of it, and this will now go on into the creation of an iPad application linked to the data base to do condition reporting in China as well as another for exhibition design in the space. Then, down the track a bit, is a website when the data base goes online for all Australians. Scott has been very generous with his time and really dedicated to getting the whole thing right - no problem was to much trouble or too difficult and we soon started calling him Mr. Wolf ...

So here's the website: www.carbondata.com.au - highly recommended.