Thanks, Vivian. That is helpful. How much "circa" is covered by that term has always been rather amorphous for me. (A century? A year?)
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Pamela Matsuda-Dunn
Massachusetts
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-21-2024 07:41 AM
From: Vivian Zoe
Subject: Question about cataloguing
Hi, Pamela - in my opinion "c." has become distorted by use by those outside museums and academe. It is short for "circa," latin for around (approximately). So to use "c.", then give a range is redundant. In the first case, I would list it as c. 2017.
For the one more difficult to date, I would simply list it as "n.d." until there is a way (perhaps through research or close examination of materials) to better assign a "c." year.
Vivian
Original Message:
Sent: 8/20/2024 1:19:00 PM
From: Pamela Matsuda-Dunn
Subject: Question about cataloguing
I am currently cataloguing works for a friend who has progressive dementia, so I cannot ask them questions about dates or titles of their work. I have 2 works which are unsigned and have no title or date, but are clearly made in this artist's distinctive style and literary sensibility. One artwork is a text piece, which was programmed with a complex machine, so I can date this piece to within a couple of years of its probable creation. The other is more difficult to place.
Questions:
For the text piece, do I list it, for example, as c. 2017-2018?
For both works, how do I list them within the catalogue? Do I just say "unknown" for the date and title? Do I place them on a separate spreadsheet? (Currently, works are listed by year, but can also be found by title.)