Physical Carriers and Properties

In the 3rd CIDOC CRM SIG meeting we found that:
The property links P62 depicts object - P65 shows visual item need to be revisited in the light of the physical carrier discussion. For revision of this we need to take into account the Getty Categories for the Description of Works of Art.

To my understanding, the Getty Categories for the Description of Works of Art deal with depictions as part of the aboutness facet of the Subject Matter. this is not in contradiction to the current CRM.

Two problems may be identified in the current CRM:
The analysis of the depicts link is too specific. Calligraphical subjects seem not to be covered. The entity E36 Visual Item inherits the general "refers to" link, but this is fairly abstract over what it is optically about. The relation "P65 shows visual item" has overlap with the new proposed "is carrier of".

There is however no subproperty relationship:
Any Physical Man-Made Stuff can show a minor visual item, without being designed as Information Carrier. P65 make no assumption on the essential role for the carrier.

On the other side, "is carrier of" comprises clearly non-optical contents, e.g. electronic contents not visible.

If a Physical Object shows a visual item, which depicts a Person's face, the Object clearly depicts that also. In other words, depiction by an Object can be seen as short cut of a path going through the Visual Item. The Visual Item lacks now the adaquate link.

A statue, a 3-D picture in a transparent substance may not be regarded as having a corresponding indirection through a Visual Item.

Under those considerations, I propose

1. Change P62 into P62 depicts (is depicted by): E1 CRM Entity.
2. Delete P63,64.
3. Create a new link: E36 Visual Item "visualizes (has visualization)" : E1 CRM Entity,
subproperty of "P67 refers to"

MD 20/6/2002