Asking the question

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has gone to the polls, asking blog readers whether they think a figure of sportsman, inserted sometime in the early 1800s into Meindert Hobbema’s Wooded Landscape with a Watermill, should be masked by conservators (to restore the painting to its original state) or left as it is (as a part of the history the painting has collected).


On their blog the MIA have used a nifty little 'wiper' like those used for before and after photos of the Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami, so people can see whether they prefer the painting with or without the figure.

As Tyler Green observes, the MIA have changed their call for action, from 'your vote counts towards our decision' to 'we're interested in what you have to say. Should art institutions be out-sourcing conservation decisions out to the public? No, of course not. But is this an easy way to show people what happens behind the scenes at art galleries and museums? Well, I voted ....

Speaking of conservation, I do admire Te Papa's efforts to share their behind the scenes activities through floortalks, blog posts and their e-newsletter. Te Papa conservators are currently blogging their work on the recently acquired portrait 'Poedua' by John Webber: check out part 1 and part 2.

Springcleaning

This slideshow on the Guardian website, showing how the British Museum conducts its annual cleaning of its Haida totem pole (hint: a cherry-picker, a special vacuum and a "conservation-grade" sponge) reminded me of my favourite moment at the Christchurch Art Gallery the other week when I saw a woman in white gloves slowly moving round Michael Parekowhai's My Sister, My Self




and gently wiping the dust off its glossy paint finish.

I'm intrigued by Parekowhai's glamorous blow-ups of dinky figurines, and would love to see My Sister, My Self joined by this new work currently on show at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Seldom is Herd.



Images
Michael Parekowhai, My Sister, My Self, 2006. Fibreglass, automotive paint, mild steel and wood. Collection of the Christchurch Art Gallery.
Michael Parekowhai, Seldom is Herd, 2009. Automotive paint on fibreglass. Installed at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery.

better, better, better, better

For those of you still puzzling over my repeated statement that using a feedreader will make your life better (or at least more interesting) - check out this Common Craft video.



And also on the theme of better, a Flickr set from the IMA, showing the conservation of a Eliel Saarinen sideboard.

Repair work

"Abstract painting," a friend once said to me. "It's so hard to look after."


In a recent NY Times article Holland Cotter writes about the Guggenheim exhibition Imageless: The Scientific Study and Experimental Treatment of an Ad Reinhardt Black Painting.

In 2000 AXA gifted a damaged Reinhardt black painting, along with a conservation grant, to the Guggenheim. The gesture, as Cotter describes it, was "the equivalent of donating a body to science": the donation enabled the Guggenheim's team to research Reinhardt's painting methods (which included siphoning most of the oil out of his oil paints, and mixing colours with his blacks) and to practice restoration techniques.

The final exhibition presents the still imperfect painting along with photos and video from the conservation work, and a group of undamaged black paintings. A great slideshow on the NY Times site mixes installation shots with photos of Reinhardt in his studio and preservation images.

Image: Reinhardt working on one of his black paintings in July 1966. Photo: John Loengard/Time & Life Pictures, via Getty Images. From the NY Times website.

Turn that music down!

Rock concerts may be prematurely aging artworks

New media, new methods

You know what I love? People who do stuff, then share it. Useful stuff, that is - like the 'Media Matters' research project.



A collaborative project between the New Art Trust, Tate, MoMa, and SFMOMA, Media Matters is a "multi-phase project designed to provide guidelines for care of time-based media works of art (e.g., video, film, audio and computer based installations)."

Hosted on the Tate's website, you can find acquisition guidelines (including downloadable templates and a process diagram) and borrowing / lending guidelines (another process diagram, and templates including facility reports, condition reports and loan agreements).

Image: first steps in the borrowing / loaning process diagram

Tip #1: write arresting post titles

One of the most frequently given pieces of blogwriting advice is 'write sticky post titles'. So how could I go past How to preserve a chocolate Santa butt-plug?

You'll remember the aforementioned work from Over the net. The post itself is a recap of a panel discussion on conservation and contemporary art, featuring artists Rachel Harrison, Doris Salcedo, Paul McCarthy, curator Elizabeth Sussman, and conservator Christian Scheidemann.