conservation #1 Flashcards
what does conservation mean?
-Conservation is the preservation of artworks.
- Conservation involves a number of considerations that will protect and
prevent damage to artworks.
- Conservation is any method that keeps artworks in as close to original
condition for as long as possible
what does preventive conservation involve?
-preserving works of art by controlling the environments in which they are displayed, stored and transported.
what are the environmental factors that contribute to the deterioration of photographs include?
-light, temperature and relative humidity (RH)
-dust accumulation and insect activity
-poor storage and display materials
-incorrect handling.
what does restorative conservation involve?
repairment to the work and requires specialist training and expertise
what are organic materials
- Paper
- Leather
- Wool
- feathers
what are inorganic materials?
- Stone
- cement
- Ceramic
- metals
how much effort does a public gallery go to for particular works?
– Considerable effort because the gallery is a custodian of the work for the public
– Borrowed works must be properly conserved
– Owners of valuable or culturally significant works will not be released if conservations standards are not adhered to
– Large galleries follow International Conservation guidelines and employ teams to ensure these standards are met.
How much effort does a comercial + ARI’s gallery go to for particular work
– do not place the same degree of emphasis on conservation – only hold works for a short amount of time.
– Cannot afford the expense of maintaining high conservation standards (but still apply some conservation
methods).
what does handling and checking artworks involve with?
– using gloves when hanging works on paper
– creating adequate viewing space between works
– paying attention to light levels
– keeping storage and display areas clear of dust and toxic materials
– being aware of security issues.
light factor in art galleries
-Light is a major contributor to the deterioration of materials used in making works of
art as it causes colours to fade, paper to discolour and become embrittled, and textiles and leather to deteriorate in a number of ways.
* Although some materials (eg ceramics and metals) are less vulnerable to the damage caused by light, all materials are at risk.
* Moreover, damage caused by light is both cumulative and irreversible.
what are the recommended art levels in an art gallery?
– highly light-sensitive material, such as textiles and paper, is 50 lux; – less sensitive material such as oil paintings and wooden objects can be lit at 150-250 lux.
– Ceramics, stone and glass have very low sensitivity and can be displayed at up to 300lux
how to minmise light damage?
- eliminating direct sunlight
- minimizing UV light, which is not required for the viewing of works of art
- reducing exposure to light, by rotating objects between display and storage
- exhibiting particularly light-sensitive objects (eg textiles and works on paper) in areas with reduced
lighting levels. - Using tungsten bulbs – low wattag
Temperture and relative humidity factor in art galleries?
- Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are directly related to each other: when
temperature rises, RH falls and vice versa. - Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air at a particular temperature, as
against the maximum amount of moisture that could be held by the air at that
temperature; this ratio is expressed as a percentage.
What is the recommended tempeture and RH for most works of art are?
- 20°C ± 2°C, 50% RH ± 5%.
- (rapid change and fluctuations in temperature/RH are seen as more damaging than
straying from these guidelines)
What can changes in temperture and RH can cause?
- Expansion and contraction of particular materials, resulting in increases in cleavage (the separation of layered structures), cracking and tears
- Mould, bacteria and fungi growth if RH is high and insect attack
- Chemical reactions that result in chemical breakdown of materials (eg discoloration and embrittlement
of paper) - Cracking and flaking of the emulsion layer
