Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping

[Chris Alexander]

Thank you to everyone that has replied so far to my inquiry. It’s really nice 
to have a list like this I can turn to, with thoughtful and informative answers 
by professionals in the field. To me, it seems pretty straight-forward - try to 
avoid image cropping because it seems difficult to always get the rights to do 
this. We want the site to look as good as possible and having to jerry-rig an 
image to make it fit might work against this goal.

Hopefully this is discussion is helpful to others.

Best regards,

Chris Alexander
Digital Media Manager
Cantor Arts Center
Stanford University
328 Lomita Drive
Stanford, CA 94305-5060

650.723.6114 | cma...@stanford.edu 
http://museum.stanford.edu
http://cantorcollections.stanford.edu

On Dec 13, 2016, at 4:00 AM, 
mcn-l-requ...@mcn.edu wrote:

Website image cropping

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[MCN-L] Job Opportunity at Stanford: Digitization Services Manager

[Stuart Snydman]

Colleagues-

I’m thrilled to announce an exciting new position opening at the Stanford 
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https://stanford.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=73402=en

This new position will be the portfolio manager for SUL’s cultural heritage 
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The person in this job will work closely with our world-class digitization team 
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Please consider applying for or recommending this position.

Wishing you well during this holiday season.

Cheers, and best,

Stuart Snydman
Associate Director for Digital Strategy
Stanford University Libraries

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Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping

[Jennifer Schmitt]

​Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping​

So we also have dealt with this issue.  We do one of several things
depending on the work, and the people/personalities in play.

1) In gallery shots.  If a work is hanging on a wall and it is the wall
that is cropped to fit, not the work, this makes life a lot easier.  Same
for sculptures outside.

2) If we have to crop something we always include "detail" as part of the
credit line.

https://decordova.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions

In this case the images have to be 580 x 380 and are scaled for the
exhibition listing. In one case I cropped and added detail to the title, in
the other I added extra white background to fit the dimensions. In both
cases the full works are represented at a higher resolution on the
exhibition page itself.  They are also both works in the collection, not on
loan.  With loans we always get the permission for the crop for print
materials and try to pick pieces/artists for the website that are visually
intersting but also the most felexible with usage.  We have the benefit of
having contemporary artists, the majority of whom understand the situation
and give permission.

Designers want precision of layout, while curators etc. want artistic
integrity honored.  We walk the tightrope in between.

Good luck!

Jenn Schmitt





On Tue, Dec 13, 2016 at 7:00 AM,  wrote:

> Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping





-- 
*Jennifer Schmitt* | Head of Marketing, Communications, and Digital
Strategy | *deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum* | 51 Sandy Pond Road,
Lincoln, MA 01773 | *T* 781.259.3616
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Re: [MCN-L] website image cropping

[Robin White Owen]

Hi Chris,

We designed a website for the Museum of the City of New York with the same kind 
of banner design: http://activistnewyork.mcny.org
I know some of the photos were copyrighted. I can give you Sarah Spink’s 
contact info, the associate curator, to ask how they handled the 
cropping/copywrite issues.

We also designed a site for the IFPDA  with a massive 
slide show of artwork  that can’t be cropped. We set height and width limits so 
the strange sizes of the works don’t break the design, and had to keep all the 
title/artist/date information in one place as a result. We’re redesigning the 
entire website right now but have kept this slide show format because it 
showcases the art works so well, and that’s what was essential to do.

Best,

Robin

Robin White Owen
M: 917/407-7641
T: 646/472-5145
ro...@mediacombo.net
MediaCombo 
@rocombo 

> On Dec 13, 2016, at 7:00 AM, mcn-l-requ...@mcn.edu wrote:
> 
> Send mcn-l mailing list submissions to
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> than "Re: Contents of mcn-l digest..."
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Website image cropping (Chris Alexander)
>   2. Re: Website image cropping (Matt Morgan)
>   3. Re: Website image cropping (Leonard Steinbach)
>   4. Re: Website image cropping (Heather Hart)
>   5. Re: Website image cropping (Mike Ellis)
> 
> 
> --
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:15:44 +
> From: Chris Alexander 
> To: "mcn-l@mcn.edu" 
> Subject: [MCN-L] Website image cropping
> Message-ID: 
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Hello all
> 
> We're currently redesigning our website and a question came up. I'm hoping to 
> cull some information from the museum community about how other museums 
> handle the same situation.
> 
> On our exhibition page the redesign relies heavily on landscape image similar 
> to this - where text floats to the left of a landscape image then switches on 
> the next exhibit listing.
> 
>   ???
> text  ?   Image   ?
>   ???
> ???  
> ?   Image   ?  text
> ???  
>   ???
> text  ?   Image   ?
>   ???
> 
> The design requires the images to all be the same size for it to look it's 
> best, meaning they would be cropped in a lot of cases. We came across a lot 
> of museum sites with similar requirements during our discovery phase.
> 
> My question is - how are museums handling this? Do you secure rights for 
> cropping artwork? How difficult has it been if so? Are museums offering a 
> full image view on click of the cropped image? Are there museums throwing 
> caution to the wind?
> 
> Very interested in hearing from you all!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Chris Alexander
> Digital Media Manager
> Cantor Arts Center
> Stanford University
> 328 Lomita Drive
> Stanford, CA 94305-5060
> 
> 650.723.6114 | cma...@stanford.edu 
> 
> http://museum.stanford.edu
> http://cantorcollections.stanford.edu
> 
> --
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:38:56 -0500
> From: Matt Morgan 
> To: mcn-l@mcn.edu
> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping
> Message-ID:
>   <98bbc625-e834-28d6-c98a-06d9b8bbc...@concretecomputing.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"; Format="flowed"
> 
> It's a problem, yes!
> 
> Whoever makes your printed posters can probably tell you how frequently 
> your exh. images need permission/input before cropping. In my 
> experience, on top of the literal rights issues, you also have the 
> personality issues. E.g., when an important person (artist, curator, 
> donor, collector) doesn't like the way something looks, you might not do 
> it even if you're within your rights. Different museums may put 
> different weight on the latter issue. I don't think I've ever cropped an 
> artwork image without a curator having veto power; but that may not be 
> the practice everywhere. Being clear about that ahead of time may save 
> you a lot of effort down the road, if you can get authority to do it 
> within your department.
> 
> Sometimes the "full view upon click" approach has helped with one or the 
> other kind of issue. But even figuring out what the options 

Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping

[Amalyah Keshet]

To fine-tune what Leonard wrote a bit, if I may:

n.b.  We are speaking here about works of art still protected by copyright -- 
not works that have entered the public domain.   Works in the public domain may 
of course be cropped.

1)  A museum or other collection does not hold copyright in a 
copyright-protected work held in its collection.  Certainly not if the work is 
only on loan.  The copyright remains with the artist, his/her heirs or 
representatives regardless of where the physical work is.
The exception is if the museum or collection receives a legal transfer of 
copyright in writing from the artist or his/her heirs or representatives.

2) Moral rights: The artist (or his heirs or representatives) is the holder of 
copyright and moral rights in his or her works.   In the US, the provisions of 
VARA apply.

In other countries, particularly in Europe, moral rights are afforded much 
stronger protection.  One of the moral rights of the artist (the "right of 
integrity") is to permit or prevent manipulation of his/her works.  Cropping is 
considered by many to be manipulation or even misrepresentation.  Others narrow 
the issue only to manipulation or misrepresentation that harms the artist's 
reputation.  

Example:  the Succession Picasso is quite particular on this issue, and in 
general does not permit cropping of Picasso's works when reproduced.  
(Reproduced with permission, of course!)

3) It's not just cropping, it's over-printing text, gutters in double spreads, 
bleed or not bleed, fade, etc.  Any manipulation of or change to the work of 
art.

We've found that often, as long as the entire work of art appears in full 
elsewhere in the publication, website, etc., the copyright holder is okay with 
a crop on the cover, home page, etc. as a design element.  The "full view upon 
click" approach that Matt mentions is an interesting equivalent.  

I will take the liberty of adding an opinion.  The more contemporary the artist 
the more comfortable he or she probably is with cropping and certain other 
manipulations; to say that it's part of the common visual vocabulary today is 
something of an understatement.  I also think most website visitors probably 
take it for granted that what's on the homepage is graphic design, not a 
scholarly catalog.  That makes me like Matt's suggestion even more.  

Chris:  good luck!

Amalyah Keshet
Head of Image Resources & Copyright Management
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem




-
[Insert your disclaimer here]
-

-Original Message-
From: mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Leonard 
Steinbach
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 7:18 PM
To: Museum Computer Network Listserv
Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Website image cropping

Building a bit on what Matt is saying, maybe a bit more simply from a rights 
issue.

1) Even if a museums owns a work, it does not necessarily own copyright unless 
it was specifically conveyed in whole or part with purchase (or if loaned - and 
similarly the lender may not have copyright.)  Whether you use an image in 
whole or part in use you are describing, the rights need to be cleared.

2) If even a copyright holder seems to give permission to use a work's image 
online, that  copyright holder may not have the right to permit the image to be 
used if cropped or otherwise manipulated because "moral rights"
under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) or other laws (varies 
internationally, and some state laws may enhance) may apply. Under that
act, under the   "the right of integrity" enables artists to prevent the
intentional distortion mutilation or other modification of a work that is 
harmful to their honor or reputation. or the copyright holder if not the artist 
may not the right to permit such changes. See this doc on the subject 
 .
  I have no explicit cite on hand with respect to a digital image rather than 
an original work, but this is about "reputation" so  I believe it would apply.

Finally I am aware of the case of an exhibition of a major modern artist, whose 
Estate, which handled rights issues, absolutely, when asked, prohibited the use 
of a cropped image for the front fold of an exhibition brochure. Good thing 
they were asked.

Hope this helps (and please chime in if I have misconstrued something)



On Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 11:38 AM, Matt Morgan 
wrote:

> It's a problem, yes!
>
> Whoever makes your printed posters can probably tell you how 
> frequently your exh. images need permission/input before cropping. In 
> my experience, on top of the literal rights issues, you also have the 
> personality issues.
> E.g., when an important person (artist, curator, donor, collector) 
> doesn't like the way something looks, you might not do it even if 
> you're within your rights. Different museums may put different weight 
> on the latter issue.