Seminar "Päritud oskused. Visuaalse dokumenteerimise võimalused" / Visual documentation in words and images

Abstract

On 20 November 2013, the Department of Estonian Native Crafts University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy organized a seminar in Viljandi devoted to studying native artisanal skills. The best way to acquire and pass on skills is to work with a master. But how and how much can technical processes be visually documented so that they are a valuable resource for other masters and researchers? At the seminar, Ave Matsin, Helgi Põllo, Anu Pink, Imre Annus and Vaike Reemann delivered presentations that drew attention to questions and problems related to visual documentation. Setting of goals was considered the most important point: what is documented and how it is documented. Another area of discussion focused on the extent to which, if at all, a documenter (videographer or photographer) should themselves be proficient in the technique being studied. The presentations were followed by workshops by National Museum specialists Anu Ansu and Maido Selgmäe, where film and photography matters were discussed in more detail. To sum up, the seminar left participants with the message that various possibilities of visual documentation represent important instruments for recording for posterity and studying native technologies as well as a way to find and implement new sources.

Keywords: inherited skills, skills, visual documentation