About
Dictionary of Australian Artists Online
What is it about?
The Dictionary of Australian Artists Online (DAAO) is a dynamic repository of quality assured biographical data, contextual information, and commentary that is overseen by an editorial board comprising Australia's leading art and design academics and curators. The Dictionary of Australian Artists Online facilitates, promotes and encourages scholarship on Australian artists.
DAAO is still in its infancy but is growing fast. We are currently upgrading and improving the coverage of DAAO's data as well as its search functionality and display. In 2011 we will be launching a new iteration of DAAO - Design and Art Australia Online.
A framework of open access intellectual property rights is an underlying principle of DAAO. We are committed to sharing information and collaborative research. We welcome all committed researchers to engage in the principles of public scholarly research by contributing to DAAO's growing database.
DAAO holds approximately 8,500 biographies of Australian artists already, but that number, however impressive, does not cover all of Australian Art and Design. You may not find people like eX de Medici or Mandy Martin right away, but you will find people like George Raper or Emily Kngwarreye.
What kind of information will I find?
DAAO is about artists' lives, not just their work. Categories of information we are collecting about each artist include language, associated people and period of practice to list just a few; along with biographical summaries.
DAAO allows for advanced contextual and categorical searches; for example you may search for an artist who lived in Ballarat, was also employed as a policeman and whose work is held in your State Library collection.
If you are looking for information on an Australian artist, why not register for updates so we can inform you of recently added biographies?
Who is the site for?
The site has been developed in response to the expressed needs of academics, students, curators, librarians, historians, art researchers and art lovers. Other audiences have expressed interest in using and contributing to DAAO including journalists, media producers, collectors and auction houses.
Where are these biographies from?
DAAO's foundation biographies come from:
- The Dictionary of Australian Artists: painters, sketchers, photographers and engravers to 1870, edited by Joan Kerr
- Heritage: The National Women's Art Book, also edited by Joan Kerr
- Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary, by Vivien Johnson
- and batches of biographies from collecting institutions and fine arts academics.
Born digital biographies are now being added by:
- The Storylines Project, College of Fine Arts, UNSW
- Our partner organisations including the National Gallery of Australia and the Queensland Art Gallery
- Commercial galleries
- Academics and Postgraduate researchers
- Artists and art lovers.
Will more biographies be added?
Yes, we invite both new biographies and new data to existing biographies. Academics, researchers, students and the general public - in fact, anyone who has information on an Australian artist - can submit a biography to the site, and subject to editorial protocols it will be published. To find out more about how we are updating the database see our research blog.
Who qualifies as an Australian Artist?
An Australian artist is defined as a person, living or dead, who:
- has a body of artistic work
- considers themselves to be an artist
- is considered by others to be an artist
- is a resident or citizen or is known as an Australian.
How is it funded?
The Australian Research Council awarded two Linkage Infrastructure Equipment Facilities grants in 2005 and 2007 to establish the Dictionary of Australian Artists Online. Open and free access is a goal of the project. We received new fund in 2010 to upgrade to Design and Art Australia Online. In July 2011, we will launch the new improved site.