One of my colleagues, speaking of our collection of unique recordings at the Library for the Performing Arts, has said that, “all of our recordings are made by professionals, but recording was not their profession.” These recordists are authors, dancers, actors, musicians, vocalists, and choreographers to name a few. What they share is a need to create a record that can document works that take place in time and space.
An obsolescing videotape is like a latent silver image on film losing its viability until its detail and subtlety is faded by time. Time-based media, works that have duration, can themselves be stuck in time. Ever evolving, the technology of time-based media moves on without thought to the consequences for those left behind. Immediate-to-recent victims can be rescued with less effort, but as time passes the efforts become more heroic. The black highlighter of obsolescence can seriously redact your moving image content.
In future posts, we will visit our efforts to tamper with the time line and forestall this pattern of obsolescence.