Artists' information seeking behaviour

Abstract

This paper is based on a pilot study of local artists based at the Artist Open House Fremantle (AOHF), Western Australia. The study was conducted to test the interview questions that were developed for a Masters research degree, which is investigating the information seeking behaviour of higher degree by research students in art and design courses in Perth, Western Australia.

A work of art is a reflection of the artist who creates it. Artistic skills and talent form fundamental components of the unique research perspective possessed by the artists and are important considerations to be included when attempts are made to understand artists' information seeking behaviour. Studies on artists’ information needs are relatively limited, but what distinguishes this group of information users from other professions is the nature of resources and information services required by this community.

This paper focuses how the artists meet their information needs for art and design resources; incorporating the findings from the pilot interview sessions. It also discusses the existing library and information science research literature that has explored creative artists’ information needs, and how this group of information users gather information to be utilised in the production of their creative works.