Photo documentation of the Centre for Contemporary Arts
- Reference:GB 2978 CCA/4
- Dates of Creation:1st Jan 1992 - 2012, 1992 - ongoing
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:photographs, digital photographs
Scope and Content
The collection largely relates to the photo documentation of exhibitions, performances, live music, workshops and other events at the CCA in the period between 1992 and 2012. There are also items documenting the redevelopment of the building and office life at the CCA. It also includes image submissions by artists and examples of artists work used for press and marketing purposes, this distinction between documentation, marketing and art work is made where possible in the catalogue descriptions. The individual photographer is in some cases known and identified where possible. CCA4/A comprises black and white and colour photographs, negatives and large format negatives. CCA4/B comprises jpg and tiff files on CD data disks.
Work on cataloguing photographs from 2013 onward is ongoing and will be catalogues in the same format.
Administrative / Biographical History
In 1974 the Scottish writer and playwright, Tom McGrath, founded The Third Eye Centre in Glasgow. Described by the Guardian as 'a shrine to the avant garde', the centre hosted visiting artists and performers such as Allen Ginsberg, Whoopi Goldberg, John Byrne, Edwin Morgan and Kathy Acker, as well as quickly becoming the focus for Glasgow's counter culture. When it consolidated its activities in the 1980s it presented some of the key exhibitions by the new Glasgow painters such as Stephen Campbell, Ken Currie and Peter Howson and was the home of the National Review of Live Art.
With the demise of The Third Eye Centre at the turn of the 1990s, the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) established in its place, opening in 1992. In 1996, the organisation was awarded a lottery grant to redevelop and expand the building complex and in 2001 the newly refurbished CCA opened to the public. Now housing a spectrum of cultural tenants as well as a café/restaurant, bar and cinema. In 2006, the organisation itself underwent a profound cultural shift, deciding to pursue a more open curatorial policy - an 'open source' approach - which encouraged artists and organisations to propose their own programs to sit alongside those curated by CCA. Today, that policy has produced a livelier and more varied program that offers a new kind of accessibility to audiences, drawing on the spirit of The Third Eye Centre and the early history of the CCA.*
Commencing in January 2012 The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) in partnership with the CCA embarked on a speculative research project to open up previously inaccessible archive material to assist research and reflection upon the causes and conditions which encouraged this renaissance of the visual arts in Glasgow since the late 1970s. The research team, led by Dr Francis McKee and Ross Sinclair, have overseen the cataloguing of existing archival material from the Third Eye Centre and CCA (material spanning the period 1972- the present) and conducted a series of interviews with artists, critics, curators and art administrators from across that time span to construct an archive for future investigators.
*Information taken from CCA website www.cca-glasgow.com
Arrangement
CCA4/A (Photographs)
CCA4/B (Digital Photographs)The photographs and CD disks have been arranged in descending year chronology and then into relevant exhibition title. A sub section of unknown dates are marked as 0000, including photographs not relating to the exhibitions program such as exterior images.
Access Information
The CCA Archive is open to all researchers including the CCA's staff and external researchers including members of the general public, subject to proof of identification and acceptance of the Reading Room General Rules and Access Policy.
The CCA Archive Reading Room is accessible by appointment only. To access the collection please contact archive@cca-glasgow.com
Note
Some transparencies, negatives and slides to be viewed using light box. A conservators report was conducted in 2013 and a copy of which is available to view at CCA. Some photographs need conservation attention where adhesives have been used on the reverse.
Archivist's Note
Detailed catalogue compiled by Robert Allanson between April-June 2013 and revised by Carrie Skinner July 2013. Collection Level Description created by Robert Allanson June 2013 and revised by Carrie Skinner July 2013. Collection rearranged and re-catalogued by Holly Belch January 2014. Collection Level Description revised by Carrie Skinner July 2014 and by Kristen Nelson in June 2022.
Conditions Governing Use
Copies of material held in CCA Archive can be provided for research or publication/broadcast subject to agreement of the following regulations.
Requests for copies of documents, images and audio-visual material are accepted at the discretion of CCA staff and are considered on an individual basis. The CCA reserves the right to refuse to provide copies, for instance on preservation grounds or if the copyright permission exists elsewhere. Every effort will be made to obtain the best quality copy possible whilst still ensuring the continued safety and integrity of the original.
Digital Photography
Digital photographs of items in the CCA Archive may be taken by visitors with permission from a Reader Room designated member of CCA staff. All photographs taken by visitors are under the terms of copyright outlined in this document and agreed to when signing the visitor log.
Copyright and Reproduction of Images
Permission to use copies made or photographs taken for commercial purposes such as publications, webpages, exhibitions, or broadcasts should be sought in writing from CCA Archive by completing a Reproduction Request and Declaration for Publishing and Broadcast form.
Please note that material subject to copyright law may not be published without the additional permission of the copyright owner who may or may not be the CCA. Although guidance on tracing copyright holders may be available from Reader Room designated CCA staff, the responsibility for clearing permissions rests with the person or organisation using the image.
The CCA reserves the right to charge a publication/reproduction fee for information or images taken for publication or broadcast purposes. The appropriate fee must be paid prior to publication. In addition, the CCA requires a complimentary copy of the publication or a page proof of the reproduction.
All material must be credited as "The CCA/Third Eye Centre Archive". All images are non-exclusive and for single-use only and must be reproduced in full and not masked out, cut down, altered or defaced in any way unless prior permission has been sought.
Basic photocopies or low-res scans can be requested for research and private study by completing a Reproduction Request and Declaration for research form. Due to CCA staff time the visitor is encouraged to carefully consider the quantity of copies requested, and a limit of up to 10 per visit is suggested. Digital files/photocopies will be emailed/posted within one week of the request.
All additional requests are reviewed on an individual basis.
Appraisal Information
The items in this collection have been extracted from the paper records of the CCA. No editing or removal of copies has been made. Additional digital files which remain uncatalogued are stored on the CCA archive server in year order.
Custodial History
Records of the CCA / Third Eye Centre – press / misc / publications / brochures deposited Glasgow City Archives c.2001. Records of Centre for Contemporary Arts, Exhibition and project records, correspondence and event files, slides and publicity information, 1993-2005, deposited Glasgow City Archives 2006. All CCA records were returned to the custody of CCA in 2012. Records of CCA Board of Governors 1992-2000 donated by Trevor Davies to CCA May 2013.
Related Material
Exhibitions, events and performances related material can be found in all other CCA collections. The George and Cornelia Oliver Collection at the Glasgow School of Art also contains documentation of The Third Eye Centre
Corporate Names