Third Eye Centre archives of travelling shows that may have been considered

I thought that it would be fun to produce a blog entry for every time I come into the archives. At times it’s quite funny because I imagine that I’m working like a secret shopper, performing  random tasks for the sake of testing the system. As librarians and archivists know, you can’t tell what’s missing until someone is searching for it. They also talk about the importance of having images to use as a reference, so here are plenty of images to entice you. I'm still wondering if there is a way to make this information more accessible, more meaningful. If anything has struck me, it's that everything seems important, especially when I imagine that it's useful for someone else's practice.

For example, I just came across this rare booklet on Ken Gray's Electro Sculptures that I know some friends of mine would love to see. It was one of many proposed travelling exhibitions that never came to the Third Eye Centre, but someone hung onto it; so now it’s here.

A spread from Ken Gray’s handout titled Electrosculpture, On the left is an image of Music Box No. 2 from 1970. Besides memorializing those events which occurred within the walls of the Third Eye, the archive contains even those who may have been considered to compare to their programming. There’s sparse information about him online, but surprisingly there’s actually a well-written biography on his life listed within the online version of Artists in Britain since 1945. Page 109. http://issuu.com/powershift/docs/dictionary_g

 (Photographer: Mr. E. Phillippe. The image is courtesy of the Third Eye Centre/CCA)

The image on the left is the control system for ‘Static Dancer’ by Ken Gray and to the right is an acrylic box with sensors that light neons responding to a ball that would swing above it. Although I mentioned that there isn’t much about him online, there is also a Youtube video that was uploaded rather recently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piInxmeaEE8

(Photographer: Peter Fowler. The image is courtesy of the Third Eye Centre/CCA)

Last photo I’m uploading is of the artist himself operating Yellow Column, which was designed for Aberdeen Art Gallery. I have added his name to the Third Eye Box List so that now his self-published hidden gem can be found.

(Photographer: David McDowell. The image is courtesy of the Third Eye Centre/CCA)

I also came across a nice photograph that really highlights Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's facade with the Third Eye Center below to give an idea of how much this corner on Sauchiehall has changed. There isn't a credited photographer or a date, but it is along with information about an exhibition in 1984 featuring Thomson that was put on in conjunction with the Glasgow School of Art.

(The image is courtesy of the Third Eye Centre/CCA)

These images are from a box that mostly includes information both about exhibiting ready-made travelling shows (usually photography) as well as papers describing attempts to diversify income by touring Third Eye Centre exhibitions, large and small. 

Visit to Nitshill - Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC)

Hello again,

Within the last couple of weeks before the coming festive holiday I have been continuing with the cataloguing of Cordelia and George Oliver's articles and photographs, along with some personal research into the period. Besides this the volunteers of the project had, and took, the opportunity to go on a field trip!

Within the past week both the volunteer archive assistants and researchers paid a visit to the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) at Nitshill. I can honestly say, I was astonished by the scale of the available resources and goals of this facility. To give you a little background; the GMRC is a purpose-built facility that stores materials and artefacts owned by Glasgow when they are not on display in any of the City's museums or galleries. As we were repeatedly informed by our lovely tour guide, that is a million-or-so objects conveniently stored in one space, ranging from: an armoury of medieval weapons, paintings, animals suffering from taxidermy, stone monuments, to fish-shaped coffins. Impressively, this facility is not only built to store these artefacts but to make them publicly accessible; providing eager support to researchers and to anyone showing an interest in any of the materials or their backgrounds.

Photo courtesy of the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre

(http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/glasgow-museum-resource-centre/Pages/default.aspx please follow this link for more information on the GMRC, including the learning opportunities for children and schools, its collection and how to get in touch if you wish to pursue this further).

This made viewing the materials particularly interesting on the tour as we could see how the storage was designed to facilite this with the best example probably being how the paintings were stored. If you imagine a shelf of CDs and how you might pull out each one to find the correct artist, and then replace those CDs with several warehouse sized walls which can be pulled out, and on which several paintings are hung, you will have some idea of what I mean. It is truly impressive how the facility is looking to accomodate public access to these materials, and is well worth a look if you have the time.

Besides this, the GMRC is currently in the process of cataloguing their own library, as well as the library materials of other museums in Glasgow (The Burrell, Transport Museum and Kelvingrove), which can be used to provide background into many of the objects stored there. Again this is open to the public, and you will find the head librarian incredibly helpful in providing information if there is anything you are particularly interested in.

I was also made aware of some of the attempts of the centre to digitise their materials. In particular, the tour guide highlighted the creation of an online resource which is attempting to photograph every painting in the GMRC's possession (an incredible undertaking). If you follow this link, you will be able to see some of their vast collection (3000 uploaded so far and counting).

Overall I found this an exceptionally interesting visit, and was delighted by how engaging the GMRC staff were. Their enthusiastic response to questions made them very approachable and a pleasure to deal with. If you have the time and inclination it is well worth a visit.