The potential role of citizen conservation in re-shaping approaches to murals in an urban context

Public visual spaces, populated by a blend of community murals, unauthorised street art, and historic painted mercantile signs, are often the mark of an urban environment that is both progressive and eclectic. Changes in the aesthetic and cultural value of these urban mural forms have led to an increase in the appreciation and, in some instances, promotion of their artistic merit and cultural significance as examples of public art. However, examining the significance of these works, with a view to implementing a conservation approach is problematic. This is due to a number of practical and theoretical considerations that are primarily a result of the ephemeral existence of urban murals outside conventional exhibition spaces, and issues associated with their often fragmented ownership and uncertain authorship. Consequently, larger thinking on the interpretation, conservation assessment, and advocacy for the conservation of urban murals are required. Key to defining and implementing such strategies is contextualising the public visual spaces that these murals occupy and, as part of this, the local and wider communities’ perception of these murals as culturally significant objects as well as fostering awareness and understanding of appropriate measures aimed at their conservation. This paper examines the role of citizen science, or crowd-sourcing, of local community members in establishing a conservation dialogue and generating conservation- relevant data on urban murals. It looks specifically at a project involving a collection of in situ historic painted mercantile signs — also known as ghost signs — in the City of Port Phillip, Melbourne, Australia. The project fostered the establishment of an informed and open dialogue between conservation specialists and participants from the local community on the significance of local ghost signs whilst transferring knowledge on conservation processes and assessment methods. Working directly with community members, a programme was designed in which conservation and community knowledge of these urban art forms, could be collected and exchanged across digital platforms. This enabled researchers to examine how citizen science can be utilised as a research tool as well as a means to advocate for the conservation of collections of urban murals. It created the opportunity to consider the role of non-specialists and shared authorities in the collection and collation of conservation- relevant data and how information generated from what we call citizen conservation projects, can inform the way in which conservators evaluate and prioritize the conservation of urban cultural heritage. The data gathered and interpreted proved to be the most effective means of ‘conserving’ these often ephemeral forms of cultural material.     

Acting on Behalf of Objects? Conservators’ Reflections on Their Professional Role

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to give insight into conservators' reflections about their practice and professional role. Ecclesiastical art from and in churches is an example where a variety of claims can be present and trigger diverse approaches to conservation and restoration. In this study we approached ecclesiastical art as a gateway to insight into conservator-colleagues' experiences and their views on decision-making, prevailing ethical boundaries, and the conservator's professional role. To gain access to the practitioners' own words and reasoning, in-depth interviews with seven conservators were chosen as a method. The interviews were analysed using a variant of qualitative analysis with an ideal of a theory-free starting point and by taking a constructivist and inductive approach. Through coding, themes and theories emerged from the data, which gave insight into a Norwegian status quo of practice, three emerging categories or topics caught our special interest and are described and discussed in this paper. The category, Conservation is a narrow path, gives an account of internal and external restrictions in the field. Internalised ethical restrictions and financial limitations are most often determining factors for conservator's decisions. The second category, Acting on behalf of objects, shows that conservators tend to feel obliged to the objects rather than to stakeholders. They understand their roles as defenders and mediators of the object. Conservators' potentially emotional closeness to the object is discussed. The experts should have the strongest voice, refers to the fact that stakeholders' opinions are only sparingly involved in decision-making among the interviewed conservators. Instead, projections of possible interests of stakeholders are often part of the conservators' basis for decision-making. However, external preconditions, as the mandates given by authorities, and financial issues play a role in the rather top-down nature of communication and decision-making. In light of (recent) claims for more people-based decision-making there seems to be a gap between theory and practice. Nonetheless, the authors argue that the conservator's engagement for and with the material object still is a necessary point of departure for conservation endeavors.     

Reporting on a survey of peer-reviewed publishing in cultural materials conservation: perceptions,preferences, and decision-making

Specialist publications are an important part of professional and disciplinary development. They serve to communicate research; enable the development of a shared, contestable, and expanding knowledge base; support the educational programmes that advance the profession; grow practice; and inform the evolution of the discipline. In conservation, professional and peer-reviewed journals and other forms of publications support cultural, organisational, and scientific development; facilitate new and improved forms of conservation professional practice; enable the growth of a distinctive research-led discipline; and help conservation to more effectively compete with other disciplines for influence and funding. This paper reports on the findings of a study that investigated conservators’ opinions and experiences of peer-reviewed publishing. This study examined the value conservators place on the dissemination of their research; the obstacles to, and incentives in publishing; the views held by conservators of the benefits of publication to themselves and the field; and the impact of the field's inherent interdisciplinarity on the pattern of conservation publishing. Eighty-six conservators (conservators and conservation scientists) and ten journal editors completed an online questionnaire focusing on the communication of knowledge within the field of cultural materials conservation. Findings suggest that while the peer review process is valued, a significant number who responded indicated a preference for forms of communication other than in peer review journals or publishing in general.     

Addenda

Abstract

Little has been written about the roles of conservators in regard to the preservation of human remains. This article examines the new challenges that face conservators as we become more involved with human remains under the new laws and approaches that protect indigenous community rights. The authors explore three areas critical to this debate, namely conservation expertise, training and outreach. Three scenarios for the conservator's role are presented. The authors suggest conservators should aim for the third role, that of ‘contributing colleague’, especially in the multidisciplinary and highly sensitive area involving the study of human remains. Also presented is a case study involving teamwork with the Kennewick Man remains. Though the discussion is limited to applications of preservation issues to human remains, the concepts have wider applications in the conservation field in general.     

Street art conservation in Athens: Critical conservation in a time of crisis

Street art, public murals, and graffiti are forms of contemporary art which flourish in the urban environment. The current socioeconomic and political crisis in Greece has rendered Athens a living city canvas that attracts artists, art lovers, young people, tourists, journalists, and photographers. The conservation of street art in extreme outdoor conditions is a new area of interest for conservation research and practice. Since 2010 the Conservation of Wall Paintings Laboratory of the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art (CAWA) of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI), Athens has been engaged in a project to explore ethics, carry out documentation, and initiate new research into street art and its conservation. Since 2012, Street Art Conservators (St.a.co.), a team comprising academics, conservators, and students from CAWA has worked in the streets of Athens for the preservation of street art. The protection and conservation of street art require the creation of a critical mass of people who are interested in the study and preservation of street art, co-operative conservation work and research, and the documentation and digital mapping of street art as an alternative means for its preservation.     

Fungal bioreceptivity of Japanese tissue papers treated with plant dyes,watercolours, and acrylic paints in paper conservation

Despite substantial literature on the dyeing of textiles, there is a lack of research about colouring Japanese mending papers (tissue papers) used for paper conservation purposes. This study investigates the fungal bioreceptivity of Japanese tissue papers after they have been treated with various dyes and pigments. A variety of toning materials including plant dyes, watercolours, acrylic paints, inks, pastels, gouaches, and colour pencils are commonly used by conservators for paper toning purposes. In this study, two Japanese tissue papers (Yukyu-shi and Sekishu Mare) were treated with selected plant dyes, watercolours, and acrylic paints and then inoculated with fungal species. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify the DNA from Aspergillus niger and Penicillium rubrum as a proxy for fungal species abundance before and after inoculation and artificial moist heat ageing. qPCR primers which were universal for fungi amplified DNA from papers inoculated with A. niger and P. rubrum and these species were found to grow less on treated Sekishu Mare and Yukyu-shi papers compared with untreated papers. Sekishu Mare papers treated with artists' acrylic paints were found to be more resistant to fungal growth than similarly treated Yukyu-shi papers. This study suggests that for the best long-term preservation outcomes for paper materials in archives, libraries, galleries, and museums, acrylic paints generally perform better in conservation terms than most plant dyes and watercolours, although most colourants displayed some bioinhibition.     

Operation Clothes Moth: Where Preventive Conservation and Public Engagement Meet

ABSTRACT

Clothesmoths catch data fromhistoric properties confirms numbers are on the increase in England. Citizen science research was conducted using Tineola bisselliella pheromone traps handed out from English Heritage properties from April to September 2017. One hundred and ninety-two participants recorded moth counts from residential properties in 42 counties in England. Using an average number of moths per trap, geographical spread indicates higher numbers in warmer southern counties of England. Pale-backed clothes moths Monopis crocicapitella were caught in significant numbers suggesting a new insect pest risk for historic house collections. Threshold numbers for clothes moths that could indicate an active infestation are proposed. Residential flats appear to be more vulnerable to clothes moth activity possibly related to the shared walls or spaces. The research was launched using a public relations campaign called ‘Operation Clothes Moth’ which generated major media activity across the internet, radio, television, newspapers and magazines. Public awareness of insect pest management, preventive conservation and the work of conservators and conservation scientists was significantly increased.     

Book Reviews

Abstract

The long-term stabilization of marine archaeological iron, whether cast or wrought, continues to challenge conservators responsible for treatment of this material. Results and observations obtained from past treatments highlight the daunting, prolonged, and laborious efforts required to desalinate large and complex ferrous artifacts recovered from the ocean. In general, the higher an artifact's chloride level, the less stable it is. Consequently, any stabilization treatment must involve the removal of as much Cl^?1 as possible without affecting the integrity of the corroded artifact. This problem is particularly acute with corroding cast iron objects that have formed thick, fragile, and highly unstable corrosion layers. Over the course of the twentieth century, conservators have used a variety of techniques in an attempt to mitigate the negative effects of chloride ions on iron artifacts and prevent disintegration. In spite of early promise, each of these stabilization techniques has significant disadvantages, particularly with regard to treatment efficiency, duration of treatment, and/or unacceptable risks to the artifact during treatment. For these reasons, conservators and conservation scientists at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, South Carolina, decided to look at the possibility of using subcritical fluids to stabilize archaeological iron. This paper compares the efficiency and effectiveness of traditional stabilization techniques (i.e. alkaline soaking and cathodic polarization) to subcritical fluids on wrought iron rivets and metal shavings from the H.L. Hunley submarine as well as Civil War era cast iron artillery shells recovered from a marine environment.     

Testing the rhetoric of China's soft power campaign: a case analysis of its strategic ambiguity in the Six Party Talks over North Korea's nuclear program

China's soft power campaign has spawned many scholarly studies on it, but few have examined its rhetorical aspect. Through keyword analysis, this research examines strategic ambiguity in China's public affairs rhetoric surrounding the Six Party Talks over North Korea's nuclear program. The two keywords, ‘the Six Party Talks’ and ‘da ju’ (big picture, overall view), are semantically open and central to China's rhetoric in defining ‘What is it?’ and ‘Why is it?’ with regard to the talks. Analysis shows that strategic ambiguity contributed to some of China's goals. However, it was not adjusted when it stopped working. Its effectiveness was undercut by certain inconsistent messages, and da ju failed to differentiate between domestic and international political context and was also culturally maladaptive. This research contributes to public diplomacy and public affairs rhetoric research.     

THE CONSERVATOR IN CONTEXT: CROSSING CURATORIAL BOUNDARIES

Abstract

Is the conservation profession dividing into two groups – specialized technicians often working in private practice, and generalists in the heritage sector whose work is often in preventive conservation covering a diverse range of materials? If so are we moving away from conservation specialists, who contribute to the wide range of processes involved with object care and research within particular curatorial disciplines? We examine the increasing distancing of conservators from collections and their curatorial colleagues and will assess how this is reflected in the changing nature of training courses, and the impact this may have on museums in the future. These issues are discussed with reference to the National Museum of Wales, which has recently undergone an externally refereed conservation review. The outcomes of this can be viewed in relation to other institutions employing conservators.     

VISION OF THE SERMON BY PAUL GAUGUIN: AN EXPLORATION OF MAKING AND MEANING

Abstract

In preparation for a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland in 2005, a thorough technical examination of VISION OF THE SERMON by Paul Gauguin was undertaken for the first time since the painting's acquisition in 1925. An inter-disciplinary approach to the research was adopted in an attempt to assess how innovative were the materials and techniques employed by Gauguin in this iconic work. The importance of the unique customs and religious piety of Brittany in 1888 to the iconography of Vision is discussed, as well as the various ways in which the original appearance of the painting has altered over time. Changes have occurred through both the natural ageing of materials and as a result of human intervention, particularly an aqueous lining and reframing. Analysis suggests that the paint medium consists of several different drying oils, confounding years of speculation that it may contain wax. The discovery that the original surface coating contains beeswax and tallow has grave implications for the feasibility of future conservation treatments. Following Gauguin's accusation of plagiarism by Emile Bernard, a tentative comparison is made between Vision and the latter's Breton Women in the Meadow. This reveals that while compositional similarities exist, Vision is far more complex, both in conception and execution.     

Overview of Preventive Conservation Research Work on Seismic Mitigation and Subway Vibration Control in Chengdu Museum of China

ABSTRACT

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake brought numerous issues to the attention of researchers of seismic mitigation in Chinese museums. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the structural design team of Chengdu Museum conducted a series of research projects on seismic mitigation and subway vibration control design of buildings. These projects included the following topics: optimization of design, numerical simulation of seismic performance, analysis of key technologies for the base isolation structure, in-depth studies on structural vibrations caused by the nearby subway, and proposals for reducing structural vibrations. In 2015, after the superstructure of Chengdu Museum was completed, conservators evaluated the safety of permanent exhibitions under earthquake conditions. Seismic protection devices were installed on the showcases according to the preventive conservation requirements for museum collections. Reinforced measures were used for museum collections according to the methods suggested in the document ‘Specification for seismic protection of museum collection’ (WW/T 0069-2015). The conservators also built a systematic platform for earthquake monitoring for museum collections. Preventive conservation studies on seismic protection and subway vibration control in Chengdu Museum are summarized and forecasted.     

Conservation of a contemporary lacquered screen: A collaborative,interdisciplinary, international project involving the artist,fabricators, and conservators from three different areas

This paper discusses issues surrounding the conservation of contemporary art within the private sector using a real example, a freestanding hinged and lacquered screen. The artwork developed severe damage whilst on display in a private collection when a section of the lacquer cracked and delaminated from the bottom of one of the panels, taking paint with it. This significantly compromised its pristine appearance, and preliminary observations suggested that restoration using traditional consolidation, retouching and varnishing techniques was highly unlikely to be successful. Initial contact with the artist led to negotiation with the original fabricator's studio. This highlighted the challenges involved in reinstating the badly damaged paint and resin using an approach that would still be acceptable within the code of ethics of the conservation profession, and the potential problems of sharing information with experts who are not conservators. Part painting, part sculpture and part furniture, the screen does not fall into the standard divisions of conservation practice. Its eventual treatment demanded collaboration between specialists in paintings, sculpture, lacquer work, and conservation science. The paper addresses three areas of importance to the conservation of contemporary art: the challenges of working as an interdisciplinary team to deal with complex (and sometimes conflicting) ethical approaches and material requirements; the difficulty in balancing the desire to preserve original materials with the need to produce a pristine result, and the importance of the artist's ratification of conservation to the market value of the work.     

Autoethnography as a new approach in conservation

This paper proposes autoethnography as a new approach for conservators. It allows for a process-based assessment that foregrounds the conservator's personal input during conservation treatments and installation procedures. It addresses the cognitive processes that steer towards the desired result in a chain of micro-level decisions. Two examples relating to the work of conceptual artist Jan Dibbets illustrate the approach. One provides insight into the conservator's deliberations during a conservation treatment, the other demonstrates the co-constructed nature of the artist interview as a negotiated text. These conservator's testimonies include and enforce the reflexivity that is needed to remain critical, not only when managing complex artworks. The methodological approach of autoethnography enriches the conservation of cultural heritage in general.     

Breaking the rules: A new life for Rescue Public Murals

The understanding of the conservation needs of outdoor community murals has increased exponentially since Rescue Public Murals (RPM) was introduced at the IIC London Congress in 2008, and this paper serves as a synopsis of current trends in the creation of exterior murals, and philosophies in dealing with their preservation. With the recent closing of its umbrella organization Heritage Preservation in Washington DC, the RPM initiative is redefining its mission and its usefulness to the worlds of conservation and community murals. The standard ethics and principles of the conservation profession are insufficient, or inappropriate, to meet the needs of community murals. Respect for the artist's intent is not high on the list of concerns in the case of saving such works. If established conservation procedures are applied to such paintings, much can be lost in exchange for a decision to proceed in a traditional manner. Outdoor murals are made of relatively short-lived materials and they are part of a continuing community dynamic and thus are not ‘completed’ in the same manner as an easel painting when prepared for exhibition or sale. When a community mural no longer serves its function in the context of its community, informed decisions must be made about how — or whether — to proceed in order to prolong its life. Conservators can play an important part in this process.     

Reflections on light monitoring: Evaluating museum lighting options for modern and contemporary art

Spectrometric handheld light meters that can provide adequate data for evaluation of replacement bulbs for contemporary art objects are now commercially available. This approach was taken to assess potential replacements for the incandescent street lamps in Chris Burden's Urban Light at LACMA, Los Angeles, USA. These meters are also useful tools for monitoring and characterizing museum lighting, which are currently done with illuminance (lux) meters. The new spectral light meters will enable conservators to tailor lighting recommendations for individual artworks, when spectral information from these meters is combined with damage function data on artists’ materials. The latter information can be obtained for some materials by a small modification to the microfade testing procedure, as exemplified by microfading colored samples Henri Matisse created during the design phase for La Gerbe.     

Conservation strategy for food-based perishable art: preservation versus reconstruction illustrated by Piece in Ghent by Jason Rhoades (1994)

The aim of this paper was to discuss the role of food preservation science and technology in the conservation of complex food-based installations. By introducing the principles of food science and food preservation into the decision-making process for the conservation of contemporary art, more insight on conservation and presentation possibilities was created. Considering the installation Piece in Ghent (P.I.G.) by Jason Rhoades, which contains French fries, the principles of food preservation science were evaluated. The preservation of the original foods was discussed against the potential of a reproduction of the foods. The context for conservation was determined by analysing the artist's intention, the production method of the artwork, and the degradation processes of the food materials. From the results obtained, guidelines to preserve the ‘original’ foods were proposed, as well as guidelines to reproduce foods that can last longer. The study demonstrated that food preservation science contributed to the development of effective strategies for the conservation of contemporary food-based art.     

Buddhist Wall Paintings at Nako Monastery,North India: Changing of the Technology Throughout Centuries

The technical study of wall paintings from the Buddhist temple complex at Nako, Western Himalayas, was one of the basic preconditions required for designing an appropriate conservation strategy. The complex, composed of four temples from the eleventh–twelfth century, offered a unique possibility to carry out a comprehensive research of technology and painting materials used in early and later western Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings as well as a comparative assessment with murals from other sites in the Western Himalayas. The study was based on extensive fieldwork and an integrated analytical approach comprising a wide range of non-destructive and micro-destructive methods. Answering the question of the coevality of paintings in the smaller temples with other original murals, the precise characterisation of binding media, the detection of the yellow dye gamboge and natural minerals posnjakite and brochantite identified for the first time in Himalayan murals, the clarification of technology of metal decoration, and the making of raised elements are some of the most exciting results which emerged from the research.     

The Artist Initiative at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The Artist Initiative at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is piloting models for increased collaboration between conservators and curators through joint work with artists. We seek a more integrated, holistic approach to the care and research of our collection. The project, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, comprises five robust research engagements that serve the curatorial collecting departments of the museum (Photography, Painting and Sculpture, Media Art, and Architecture and Design). Three of the projects are monographic studies, examining the work of Ellsworth Kelly, Vija Celmins, and Julia Scher in depth, while two more are thematic, exploring modes of displaying digitally-driven design objects, and developing strategies for addressing the problem of color shift common to photographic prints made with experimental materials during the 1970s and 1980s. The Artist Initiative is also charged with developing hybrid working spaces to advance collaborative approaches to collections research at the museum's new downtown campus and at SFMOMA's new Collections Center in South San Francisco. These spaces include the Collections Workroom, a 56?sq?m (600?sq?ft) space that functions as a studio for visiting artists, a conservation laboratory, an interview suite, and a classroom at SFMOMA's downtown campus. At the Collections Center, a 121?sq?m (1300?sq?ft) Mock-Up Gallery has been built as a working model of one of the museum's new galleries. A functional exhibition space, the Mock-Up Gallery is also a venue for interviewing artists, prototyping exhibition formats, and meeting with students, scholars, museum staff, and community members. With the goal of contributing to critical discourses in contemporary art history, art conservation, and public engagement, each of the Artist Initiative projects includes a colloquium that will bring experts from multiple fields together with the featured artists. Thereafter we aim to share our findings widely through public programs and a range of publications, both digitally and in print.