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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Latest ARTstor announcements
The ARTstor Digital Library now contains two collections from The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The first is 1,269 images from the museum’s permanent collection and the second offers 4,896 contextual images documenting the history of the circus in America. In other news, ARTstor announced a future collaboration with UC Santa Barbara alum… Read more
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Colbert Report, Steve Martin, and Art
In honor of finals week, here is a link to the recent Art edition of the Colbert Report. Especially interesting is Colbert’s “Tip of the Hat” to Rep. Eric Cantor (VA) and the censorship of David Wojnarowicz’ video “A Fire in My Belly” at the National Portrait Gallery’s Hide/Seek exhibition. Later in the show Steven… Read more
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Last chance for an audience with a goddess
Patrons visiting the Getty Villa in Malibu have until this Sunday to view the ancient Greek “Cult Statue of a Goddess”. Her trip back to Sicily in January is a piece of a “cultural collaboration” with the Sicilian government to return objects that had been sold to the Getty under questionable circumstances. The Villa’s current… Read more
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Get camera implanted in head: check! (Or, Now that’s artistic devotion, Part 2)
Wafaa Bilal, a professor of photography at NYU, has had a camera implanted into the back of his head. His project, called “The 3rd I”, was commissioned by the Arab Museum of Modern Art. Photos will be taken every minute, and will be streamed from his website beginning December 15. He will wear the camera… Read more
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Update on Picasso trove: The Plot Thickens
According to ARTINFO, Picasso wasn’t quite as ungenerous as many have stated. They cite several examples of his repayment of services or friendship with works of art, e.g. to his chauffeur and his barber. Nevertheless, the French government has seized the trove of 271 works that electrician M. le Guennec had in his possession. His… Read more
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New collection of Picasso works found with artist’s electrician
Pablo Picasso’s former electrician Pierre Le Guennec, who installed security systems in the artist’s homes, is at the center of a battle over 271 works of art he claims to have been given by the artist as payment for work. He brought several pieces to Picasso’s estate to have them appraised and Picasso’s son, the… Read more