By Aazdak Alisimo

Art Conservation and preservation go together. In fact, the very purpose of art conservation is to preserve what we were and what we are now for the generations that will follow us.

Art consists of all of the things created by man with his imagination. The Conservation profession is dedicated to preserving the artifacts created by man for the enjoyment and education of future generations. What is art conservation? It is the field of the preservation of art. It differs a bit from art restoration. Art conservation approaches the idea of preservation from the aspect of prevention. Art restoration attempts to restore objects to their original form.

Preventive conservation is an essential element of any group such as a museum or gallery that holds works of art. The idea is to carefully monitor the condition of the art and the environment surrounding it to minimize any damage. This includes the normal damage from aging and exposure to the elements. This is done by control of the environment and also continuously checking the condition of the art.

Art conservationist and art restorers are sometimes at odds over their different approaches to preservation. The feelings of the conservationist are that the use of modern materials to “touch up” a work of art in an attempt to restore it to its original look actually is destroying the integrity of the work. It is no longer a historic piece of art, but something half old and half new. Often, there is compromise between art conservation and restoration when the restorer is careful to use materials that can easily be removed to improve the appearance of the art. This process is called reversibility. In other words, the art can be reversed by the removal of the touch up materials to its original historic form.

Art conservation often includes the cleaning of works of art. This is considered to be part of the conservation process because dirt, grime, and pollution are serious culprits in the deterioration of the art. Even cleaning can cause some concern due to the potential damage of the cleaning agents. Usually, cleaning is done very carefully under lab conditions.

Art conservation is a very important field and several American Universities have programs for advanced study of it. In the past, little thought was given to the preservation of great works of art and as a result they have been lost to us forever. The creative work of mankind is a legacy that deserves to be passed on to future generations so that they can understand who we were and what our dreams were all about. Art is a reflection of the human race and part of its history and belongs as much to the future as it does to the present.

By Judith A. Tartt

Many know peripherally what art conservation is, but rarely take a peek into the field to really explore why it’s important and how it adds to your daily lives. Here, we will examine what art conservation is, and why art conservation is a highly regarded profession.

Art Conservation Defined

Art conservation is the profession that is dedicated to preserving the cultural gems of the world today, for the enjoyment of future generations. Can you imagine Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa disintegrating before your eyes? Or, van Gogh’s The Starry Night being destroyed due to pollution? Or Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon ceasing to exist due to extreme light?

Art conservationists prevent all of these things from happening to the world’s most precious cultural treasures, as well as your family heirlooms.

Art Conservation: The World’s Most Precious Cultural Treasures are Always in Danger

Cultural treasures like the ones mentioned above are in constant danger from naturally occurring environmental factors like extreme heat and cold, humidity, chemical pollutants and excessive light, to name a few.

Furthermore, there are man-made threats, eg, accidental damage and poor handling practices. Art conservationists are trained professionals who know to not only prevent environmental factors from destroying these priceless gems, but who know how to handle them to prevent even accidental damage.

Why Art Conservation Is a Highly Regarded Profession

Art conservation is a highly regarded profession for the following reasons:

Ruled by Ethics: Art conservationists have an applied ethics standard that they must adhere to. These ethical standards have been adopted worldwide, with written guidelines established nationally and internationally across many spectrums of the art world.

For example, there are codes of ethics that apply to museums, art conservators, institutions that borrow art for exhibition, etc. To learn more about applied ethics as they relate to art conservation, visit Art-Care.com.

Many Areas of Specialty: Art conservation is not a one-dimensional profession, which makes it so exciting. If you have a passion for all things old and want to carve out a career as an art conservationist, there’s a niche for you.

Careers in Art Conservation

Some of the niches in art conservation are as follows:

Photograph Conservation: This is the study of how to preserve photographic material. In this discipline, you are required to know how photographs are developed and how to prevent their deterioration.

Furniture Conservation: The perfect career for a lover of antique furniture.

Textile Conservation: Have an interest in preserving old quilts, wall hangings and other textile art for years gone past? Textile conservation is a rewarding career for you.

These niches are just the tip of the iceberg. Some others to consider are book and paper conservation, digital object conservation, frame conservation and more.