Named after the small red sticker that once guided scholars through legacy 35mm slides, The Red Dot is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of visual and material research. While rooted in the University of California, Santa Barbara community, our posts are open to all.
At MIRL, we engage with art history, digital humanities, and material culture through hands-on research and archival projects. Guided by our core principles—critical engagement with visual and material culture, ethical stewardship of images and data, and innovative approaches to research and pedagogy—we work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. We are especially interested in how digital tools can expand the study of images, objects, and spaces.
Here, we’ll share insights on Digital Art History and Architectural History, highlight new image and data resources, discuss copyright and ethical considerations, and spotlight events that shape our field.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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Neutra’s Kronish House to be demolished?
Rumor has it that Richard Neutra’s Kronish House in Beverly Hills may be headed for demolition very soon. It is unclear whether a permit has been filed yet to raze the 6,891 square foot house off of Sunset Boulevard that was built in 1955 for real estate developer Herbert Kronish. However, the house is currently for sale… Read more
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Ghent Altarpiece IRR images now available online
A first look at the IRR (infrared reflectography) analysis of the Ghent Altarpiece is now available. The entire altarpiece has been photographed using the IRR technique as a way to study its underdrawings and to determine its different phases and contributors. It was initiated as part of an urgent conservation treatment in 2010. Twenty of… Read more
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Getty encourages Google Goggles searching
The Getty Museum has partnered with Google to encourage museum visitors to use the smartphone app Google Goggles™ in the galleries. The Getty created mobile versions of some of their collection Web pages, some including audio, which Google then incorporated in their visual search technology. For a sample page, click here. The app also allows… Read more
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Cy Twombly dies at 83
American artist Cy Twombly, a long-standing figure in modern art, has died in Rome at age 83 after a battle with cancer. Twombly is known for creating paintings that combined elements of drawing and writing with gestural abstraction. via LA Times Read more
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Rose Art Museum and Brandeis University: The Conclusion
Over the years here at The Red Dot we’ve followed the economic tug-of-war between Brandeis University and its Rose Art Museum. It appears that the war is now over and thankfully the Rose emerges the victor. Brandeis University has posted on its website that the suit between four museum supporters and the university — who… Read more
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Latest images and agreements from ARTstor
ARTstor’s Digital Library now has these collections available: Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawaii (Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art): 400 images of Islamic and South Asian art from the collection at Shangri La, the former home of Doris Duke (1912-1993) [1/2 of the projected 800] Yao Ceremonial Artifacts Collection (Ohio University): 3,714 art works and objects created… Read more