We Are Living in a Digital World and This Is a Digital CR

As workflows, research, and catalogue raisonné publications become increasingly digital, what does it mean to produce a truly digital CR? The CR is no longer a static, stable tome but rather a tool or resource, something to expand understanding, extend legacy, and spur new research and scholarship. With a digital publication, the benefits of searching, sorting, and filtering artworks, publications, and exhibitions are immediately apparent, as well as the ability to update records without issuing an addendum. Even if a CR is being published in print, it is almost certainly catalogued in a digital database. This session will examine how CR projects can harness the possibilities of digital, while minimizing the pitfalls. What opportunities exist for collaboration and information sharing across projects, while maintaining confidentiality as necessary? How might we employ data standards and controlled vocabularies to find connections across data sets while preserving nuance in an artist’s oeuvre? If an artwork entry can be updated at any time, why not publish as soon as the research is finished? Is it possible to share research in progress without confusing readers—how do we balance transparency and timeliness with clarity and accuracy? And with all of this in mind: is the purpose and function of catalogues raisonnés changing and if so, what comes next?