The Archive
Judy Watson / Waanyi people / Queensland Australia b.1959 / burnt shield 2002 / Synthetic polymer paint, ash, charcoal on canvas / 190 x 118cm (unstretched) / Purchased 2003.The Queensland Government's special Centenary Fund / Accession No: 2003.021 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Judy Watson/Copyright Agency / View full image
An archive is often understood as a collection of documents, images or objects
that offer insight into the past. In contemporary art, the archive is a site of critical
and creative engagement — one that moves across past, present and future.
An archive is often understood as a collection of documents, images or objects that offer insight into the past. In contemporary art, the archive is a site of critical and creative engagement — one that moves across past, present and future.
Some artists work with archival material to reclaim overlooked histories, critique systems of documentation, transmute the original purpose for which information was collected, and generate new interpretations and emotional responses to historical material. Some construct new archives to address underrepresentation in institutional collections. They ask: Who decides what is preserved? What is excluded, and why? How can we recognise the individuals behind the records? Can our holders of truth be trusted? What role does artist research play in opening dialogue and influencing change?
Through performance and embodied practices, some artists activate otherwise static archival material and emphasise memory as a lived, sensory experience. Others focus on archiving everyday life — treating ordinary objects, routines and ephemera as valuable records of personal and collective experience. Artist responses to archives can challenge traditional definitions of what is considered historically significant, and invite critical discussion about how history can better inform contemporary life.
Artworks themselves can function as archives, shaped by the artist’s choices about what to collect, include, organise, preserve, interpret and recontextualise, positioning the artist as both maker and archivist.
Activities
Differentiated activities
- Students identify collections they have at home and think about collections they might like to create, either at home or at school.
- Students reflect on what their collections reveal about themselves.
- Students describe the feelings or memories associated with particular collections, objects or images.
- Students examine a collection of objects or photos and, with guidance, sort them into ‘old’ and ‘new’ groups.
- Students interview a family member about an object that has personal or
sentimental meaning. - Students sort images or objects by theme, such as family, history or everyday life, and explain the reasoning behind their choices.
- Students make fingerprints or handprints as a record of themselves.
Activity ideas for younger students
- Students create a class time capsule to be opened in 50 years, deciding collaboratively what to include and why.
- Students explore ‘then and now’ through mapping activities that compare past and present experiences, spaces or objects.
- Students paint a portrait of themselves as a baby and another of themselves now, reflecting on change over time.
- Students create self-portrait artworks that include items or symbols telling others about who they are.
- Students make crayon rubbings (frottage) to capture textures during a walk, or collect small natural objects to assemble into a class collection back in the classroom.
- Students interview classmates, school members or community members about their stories and transform these into artworks.
Activity ideas for older students
- Students explore their family history by creating a family tree or compiling
physical photo albums, considering how personal records contribute to an archive of lived experience. - Students create an artist book as a personal archive, reflecting on the choices they make about what to preserve and how to present it.
- Students use archival material and research as a starting point for creative work.
- Students select an everyday object and create an artwork that transforms it into a meaningful record of personal and collective experience, challenging conventional ideas of what is historically significant.
Glossary of cognitive verbs
Describe
To give a detailed account of the features of something by identifying and communicating what can be seen, heard, felt or otherwise sensed. In relation to works of art, this includes visual elements such as colour, shape, line, texture and subject matter, as well as other perceptual qualities such as sound, movement, scale, spatial presence and materiality.
Analyse
To examine the parts and features of something in detail to understand how they work together. In relation to works of art, this involves breaking down visual and sensory elements — such as colour, composition, texture, sound and materials — and considering how they work together to create meaning or effect. It also includes identifying techniques, processes and relevant contextual influences that shape the work.
Interpret
To draw conclusions about the possible meaning of an artwork, considering the artist’s intent and the viewer’s own ideas and feelings.
Evaluate
To make a judgement about the quality, effectiveness or impact of something, based on criteria or evidence. In relation to works of art, this includes assessing how successfully the artist has used materials, techniques and elements to convey ideas or achieve an intended effect, as well as considering the work’s originality, impact or relevance.