What is an archive?

An archive can take any number of forms, from a folder of documents in a filing cabinet to a collection of materials and leftovers from an artist’s studio. Essentially, an archive is any collection of documents and records that gives us insight into the history and nature of its subject. When it comes to archives of art and artists, these typically include sketches, drawings, clippings, and any preparatory materials for a final work of art. So why preserve these preliminary documents, which would likely contain mistakes, errors, and disregarded projects?

It is these early documents and objects that can give us special insight into an artist’s practice and thought processes. By looking through sketches, models, and drafts, we can see the challenges—and failures—an artist had to experience in order to create a work of art. This gives us a better grasp on how they may have worked and how they developed over time. And for those who leave behind personal effects and letters for their archives, it can help us develop an understanding of their personal lives and identities in relation to their art, and how they may have fit into a broader cultural history.

In recent decades, artists have become increasingly interested in archives as inspiration for their work, but also in its use as an artistic medium. The impulse to accumulate, sort, and document drives the process of making assemblages and collages just as much as it dictates the creation of an archive. Many conceptual and performance artists use archival materials and formats in the work, blurring the line between art and documentation. And some artists have begun to question how to revisit and re-enact their own work after it has been archived. In what ways can archives go beyond documentation and foster inspiration? How do archives not only trace the creative process but also become part of that process itself?