Conservation: Where Art and Science Meet
June 26, 2010 - September 3, 2012
Throughout history, people have been interested in preserving items of sentimental, historical, or monetary value. Only recently has this impulse been allied with scientific method to create the field of conservation. Although some visitors may be familiar with dramatic before-and-after transformations - the ravaged item returned to a state of beauty - conservation involves much more. It is the nexus of art and science, and it begins with a consideration of the materials from which objects are made.
What is conservation?
Many people associate the word "conservation" with the preservation of natural resources. In the museum world, it means preserving the evidence (sometimes called objects or artifacts) of human cultural activity. Artifacts can be anything from a work of art, such as a painting or a piece of furniture, to a utilitarian tool or an archaeological fragment. Conservators (people who practice conservation) understand artifacts through scientific investigation, and they work to preserve them through stabilization and, in some cases, restoration or reconstruction of damaged or missing parts. Preservation efforts involve a controlled environment, proper handling, and even legislation to protect sites. Conservation is a complex field but its guiding principles are quite simple. They include:
1) A respect for how an object was conceived, made and used, and the desire to understand how it changed physically over time, and how to slow any further deterioration.
2) The goal of minimum intervantion, which holds that it is best to follow the least invasive course of action when treating an object.
3) The aim of making any addition to an object as easily reversible as possible.
4) A commitment to documenting every discovery, every action and every addition so that future generations can learn about an object and what was done by the conservator.
What is conservation?
Many people associate the word "conservation" with the preservation of natural resources. In the museum world, it means preserving the evidence (sometimes called objects or artifacts) of human cultural activity. Artifacts can be anything from a work of art, such as a painting or a piece of furniture, to a utilitarian tool or an archaeological fragment. Conservators (people who practice conservation) understand artifacts through scientific investigation, and they work to preserve them through stabilization and, in some cases, restoration or reconstruction of damaged or missing parts. Preservation efforts involve a controlled environment, proper handling, and even legislation to protect sites. Conservation is a complex field but its guiding principles are quite simple. They include:
1) A respect for how an object was conceived, made and used, and the desire to understand how it changed physically over time, and how to slow any further deterioration.
2) The goal of minimum intervantion, which holds that it is best to follow the least invasive course of action when treating an object.
3) The aim of making any addition to an object as easily reversible as possible.
4) A commitment to documenting every discovery, every action and every addition so that future generations can learn about an object and what was done by the conservator.