Conservation Flashcards
How are artworks presented and conserved?
painting
Conservators focus on preventing acidic canvases, brittle paint, and drying timber. Structural interventions (e.g., re-stretching a canvas) and cosmetic repairs (e.g., fixing cracks and discoloration) are common.
How are artworks presented and conserved?
Acrylic
Flexible at room temperature (20°C), risks cracking below 10°C or becoming soft with heat. Conservators remove surface dirt and address chemical reactions like greyish residue on the surface.
How are artworks presented and conserved?
Handling and Storage
Wrapped with non-adhering materials, D-rings for hanging, specialized transit frames, and environment-controlled spaces (humidity, light, temperature).
Investigate methods of conservation and care
Conservators ensure long-term preservation through condition reporting, climate control advice, handling, and transport guidelines.
Designing mounts, coordinating disaster preparedness, and using scientific tests to assess artworks’ conditions are key responsibilities.
Preventing damage like cracking or dust accumulation is essential.
What is preventative conservation?
Definition: Actions taken to minimize or slow deterioration, such as risk assessment, proper handling, environmental controls, and guidelines for storage.
Goal: Avoid future damage through careful management of temperature, humidity, and storage conditions.
Lux levels for different artworks
Paper: 50 Lux to protect the sensitive surface (e.g., photographs).
Acrylic Paintings: 100-150 Lux to avoid damage.
General rule: Block natural light to protect pigments and canvases from harmful UV rays.
What is pest control in a gallery?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Prevents damage by pests through clean spaces, no food/drink policies, and monitoring traps.
Galleries apply low-temperature or low-oxygen treatments to protect artworks from pests.
Optimum temperature and humidity in galleries
Temperature: 20+-2°C.
Humidity: 50+- 5% RH
Both are controlled to prevent cracking or softening of materials like acrylic.
How are artworks transported?
Special transit frames, climate-controlled containers, and packing materials like polyethylene sheeting are used.
Conservators advise based on artwork fragility.
How are artworks stored and handled?
Secure, dust-free environments, such as Solander boxes for paper works.
Handling frames for paintings.
Crates and archival boxes for transportation.
What is restorative conservation?
Repairs artworks after damage occurs, such as cleaning surfaces, retouching discolored areas, or repairing tears.
Requires collaboration with curators and historians to ensure authenticity.
What is a condition report?
Detailed physical assessment of an artwork’s condition when entering or leaving a collection.
Documents scratches, cracks, and other details to track the artwork’s health over time.
Ethical considerations in presenting artworks
Curators must verify authenticity and provenance.
Culturally sensitive objects need specific handling and consultation with cultural custodians.
Proper credit to artists, cultural sensitivity, and correct representation are critical.
How are unstable materials and obsolete technologies catered for?
Unstable materials: Controlled environment (temperature, humidity, and light).
Obsolete technologies: Content migration to current digital formats while preserving the original physical media.
Archival-quality materials and regular assessments are vital for preservation.
Exhibition design
planning and producing the layout and design of the exhibition and planning the ‘flow’ of the exhibition, including sight lines, spatial relationships, viewer interaction and interpretation. Exhibition design also includes the creation of display furniture, the selection of fixtures for artworks in an exhibition and the use of lighting throughout the exhibition. A curator and exhibition designer can work together on exhibition design.
