E-Conservation Magazine - 14

e-conservation
the online magazine No. 14, May 2010
So, why do we do it?
"... nothing, not even neglect, lasts forever."

Leo Steinberg
As conservator-restorers its only natural that we conserve. It is what we have chosen to do. We studied to do it and we work on and for it the rest of our lives. Occasionally we are faced with the question, why do it? Why do we conserve? Is it because of our love of History? Is it because of our romantic fascination to unravel the artists closely guarded secrets? Or is it because conservation is at the interfacing point between art and science? Or do we all feel somehow invested with the sacred responsibility to take care of and to preserve our ancestors objects and pass them on the legacy to our children? Im sure everyone will have their own favourite answer but nonetheless the question remains: why do we do it? The motives behind why we conservators do it are usually completely different to those which motivate a society to conserve their cultural heritage. Society in general seems to have a simple answer, almost like a clich: to maintain our historical identity, to know more about who we are and where we come from. And all this is achieved through the conservation of the objects that our ancestors left behind. But is that all we do, preserve objects so that others can interpret them? For society, one may think, this attitude towards conservation is almost a natural way to think. After all, that is why we collect objects and it is why we build museums, isnt it? But the truth is that there have never been so many of us on the planet, nor have there been so many producers of culture, either material or immaterial or such an increasing number of museums and collections. The logistics of collecting, caring for and preserving objects can never be sufficient for the amount of increasing cultural heritage objects and, therefore, loss is inevitable. Even the digital world, that many thought would be part of the solution, is now actually part of the problem. Lets face it, its impossible to keep everything, so where exactly do we draw the line? Shouldnt there be some guidelines, some general orientation, other than common sense? The idea that cultural heritage ought to be protected is transmitted everyday. It is a need that responds to international values that everyone understands and agrees with. If so, why are there people who persistently reject it? Certain things immediately come to mind, like acts of vandalism, disfiguring graffiti, slashing or throwing acid on public sculptures or paintings. These, fortunately, are isolated acts and quite uncommon. But, what about when an entire community tries to get rid of a part of its history, and its cultural objects because of their identity symbolism become their targets of eradication? For example, a village in Portugal, for reasons yet to be understood, recently got authorisation from the local city hall to demolish a XVI century church! The demolition has not yet occurred for lack of funds, but when it does happen, no doubt that community will lose part of its local identity. Indeed that loss would be for the entire nation. So, when those supposedly most interested in protecting their heritage are in fact also those who seek its destruction, should they be entitled to do so? Of course we, as specialists, know the answer; after all, heritage is not ours to dispose of but merely to preserve it in order to pass it on to future generations. However not everything can be preserved, so can we choose what to forget? And if so, how do we choose what to forget? Should we just accept that History has always had its own editing process? As we see, conservation of cultural heritage is not universally acknowledged. We ought to conserve, but are we entitled to forget? Rui Bordalo Editor-in-Chief
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editorial
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INDEX
NEWS & VIEWS
Building Bridges in the Third Place

By Daniel Cull
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REVIEWS Multidisciplinary Conservation A Holistic View for Historic Interiors. ICOM-CC Interim Meeting
March 23-26, 2010, Rome, Italy Review by Ana Bidarra
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VI Symposium of Art and Science Conservation and Restoration of Decorative Arts

February 27, 2010, Porto, Portugal Review by Rui Bordalo
EVENTS INTERVIEW
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UPCOMING EVENTS
June - July 2010
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Wikipedia Saves Public Art: An interview with Richard McCoy and Jennifer Geigel Mikulay, conducted by Daniel Cull Conservation-Restoration Interventions in Extreme Cases Improving the Structural Resistance of Wood Damaged by Biological Attack
by Cornelia and Dinu Svescu
ARTICLES
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The Challenges of Digital Art Preservation

by Lino Garca and Pilar Montero Vilar
ARP PROCEEDINGS
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The Conservation-Restoration of the Charola Paintings of the Convent of Christ in Tomar

by Frederico Henriques, Ana Bailo and Miguel Garcia
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The Conservation and Preservation of a Photographic Print. The Panoramic View of Constantinople
by lia Roldo and Luis Pavo
BOOK REVIEW
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Conservation. Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths

Review by Christabel Blackman
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news & view
BUILDING BRIDGES IN THE THIRD PLACE

By Daniel Cull culture is a bridge for everyone
(Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, 2001) [1]
In a world in which bridges between cultures are more often blown apart than built, museums hold an intriguing potentiality for bridge building. Elaine Heumann Gurian noted that museums can play "an enhanced role in the building of community and our collective civic life" [2]. The community or civic life of the museum is intimately linked to collective spaces within the museum environment, therefore our use(s) of space(s) within museums takes on significance. These days museums are more than an exhibit space with perhaps a shop and cafe, today youll find informal and formal meeting space, cinemas, wi-fi hotspots, performances, creche, theatre, viewable conservation studios, there may be cocktail parties, fairs, dances, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and a whole lot more besides, it would be true to say that "without necessarily intending to, museums have become mixed-use environments" [3]. One theoretical point of coalescence for investiigating spacial use within the contemporary museum is that of the so-called 'third place', influenced by the sociologist William H. Whyte [4] who researched the use of public space in Manhattan, and the writings of Ray Oldenburg [5] who discusses the significance of spaces for communities and civic life. The mixed-
use museum environment is an important example of such a 'third place': "Neither work nor home, the third place is a neutral community space, where people come together voluntarily and informally in ways that level social inequities and promote community engagement and social connection." [6] Corporations were quick to realize the importance of selling a "third place experience" [7], and museums have unsurprisingly not been far behind. The IMLS document the 'Future of Museums' emphasizes the third place as a social tool: "Not just a third place, but a third force if you will" [8]. As the conservation profession increasingly enters the public realm the act of conservation gains in public comprehension, both tangibly (as an activity) and intangibly (as a symbolic metaphor), this coupled with increasing possibilities for communication may allow conservators to develop their own roles within third place scenarios. Pye and Sully challenged conservators to "evaluate their relevance to 21st century situations" [9] and in so doing developed a socially conscious conservation combined with bench work. Such a vision of socially responsible conservation could perhaps start by drawing on the idea that "conservators provide a paradigm [...] for a wider social ethos of care" [10], such ideas could provide very significant bridge building tools within the museum as a third place. Whether or not conservation embraces ideas such as the 'third place'
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VIEWS
is ultimately unimportant, what is however significant is that conservation is increasingly a public endeavor and as such its necessary to consider how the profession interacts within the museum space(s) and with the wider community/ies. Notes [1] Marcos, Subcomandante Insurgente, Paths of Dignity: Indigenous Rights, Memory and Cultural Heritage, accessed March 12, 2001, URL [2] Elaine Heumann Gurian, "Function Follows Form: How mixed-used spaces in museums build community", (2001), in Elaine Heumann Gurian, Civilizing the Museum: The Collected Writings of Elaine Heumann Gurian, Routledge, London and New York, 2006, p. 99 [3] p. 103, ibid. [4] William H. Whyte, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, The Conservation Foundation, 1980
[5] Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community, Da Capo Press, 1999 [6] Erica Pastore, The Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide (IMLS-2009RES-02), Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington DC., 2009, p. 9, URL [pdf] [7] Rafe Needleman, Starbucks: Stay as long as you want, cnet news, August 15, 2009, URL [8] Harold Skramstad, quoted in Pastore, ibid. [9] Elizabeth Pye and Dean Sully, "Evolving challenges, developing skills", The Conservator, Volume 30, 2007, p.29. [10] Samuel Jones and John Holden, Its A Material World: Caring for the public realm, Demos, London, 2008, p. 16, URL [pdf]
DANIEL CULL
Conservator The Musical Instrument Museum Daniel Cull is a Conservator, Wikipedian, Social Networker, and Blogger from the West Country of the British Isles. Trained at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, where he received a BSc in Archaeology, MA in Principles of Conservation, and an MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums. He was later awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the National Museum of the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. He currently works as an ethnographic musical instrument conservator at the Musical Instrument Museum, in Arizona. Website: http://dancull.wordpress.com Contact: daniel.cull@themim.org
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REVIEWS
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONSERVATION A HOLISTIC VIEW FOR HISTORIC INTERIORS ICOM-CC Interim Meeting
Review by Ana Bidarra
March 23-26, 2010 Rome, Italy Complesso Monumentale di San Michele a Ripa http://iscr.beniculturali.it/... Hosted by: Ministero per i Beni e le Attivit Culturali (MiBAC) Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (ISCR)
The conference Multidisciplinary conservation a holistic view for historic interiors was a joint interim meeting of five ICOM-CC working groups: Leather and related materials, Murals, stone and rock art, Sculpture, polychromy and architectural conservation, Textiles and Wood, furniture and lacquer. More than 200 delegates from 20 different countries attended the conference. The meeting was hosted by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attivit Culturali (MiBAC) and by the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (ISCR), with the support of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Council of Museums Italia (ICOM Italia). During the three days the main subject was divided in 8 different themes, covering different approaches
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to the conservation of historic interiors: Historic interiors and wide ranging conservation projects, Museums and private residences: of conservation, Interdisciplinary issues, Preserving original context while maintaining a functional role, Preventive conservation, care and maintenance, Cultural property: changes in the original context, Composite material artefacts: conservation projects and Materials and artefacts: technical and scientific update. The poster sessions took place before lunch and afternoon coffee breaks. The subjects were related with different areas: Historic interiors, Textiles, Leather and related materials, Sculpture, polychromy and architectural decoration (2 sessions) and Wood, furniture and lacquer. Each author had 3 minutes to make a presentation on the theme of the poster, inviting the delegates to a more attentive look. The posters were in display during the 3 days in the lunch room.
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Discussion of the session Cultural property: changes in the original context. Chair: Rui Xavier.
Poster presentation: Sculpture, polychromy and architectural decoration (Session 6).
During the 3 days several speakers from public and private institutions approached the conservation of different interiors, with different materials and in different countries. There were global approaches (Netherlands), integrated approaches (Belgium) and historic interiors improvements (England). Different case studies were discussed, such as a Refectory (Malbork), a Sacristy (Tibes), a Palace (Padmanabhapuram), a Royal Vineyard (Torino), a Chinese room (Warsaw), a Castle (Torino), a Theatre (Italy), Villas, Temples (Taiwan), Museums and Churches. Some objects were also mentioned related with the environment where they were located: tapestries, paintings, sculptures, lacquer panels, altarpieces and parchments. Some of the presentation showed really interesting approaches to the conservation of historic interiors and all the aspects involving such heterogeneous environments. Multidisciplinary teams made possible good final results sometimes in difficult conditions logistic, monetary or geographical - these examples thought the interventions in a methodical way, with a scientific ground and within reasonable timings. However, a less successful approach was made in other presentations especially regarding the degradation of materials in historic interiors, its causes and how to solve them. In an overall appreciation this was
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probably the weakest point of the congress, the lack of well based scientific methodology to conservation issues and how to solve certain environmental problems and degradation processes. Many of the presentations were quite empirical and the support of a more rigorous approach clearly lacked. The 21st century conservation of historic interiors can not be based only on installing air-conditioning systems or humidifiers in the rooms and then expect them to solve problems. Apparently, one of the speakers was very surprised when several months later things were still the same! Choosing a colour for an historic interior is, without doubt, a very important aspect of the conservation process as some examples have shown.
Presentation of Conservation works in refectories in the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, by Marcin Kozarzewski and Agnieszka Wielocha.
REVIEWS
Several exams have to be performed, the need of historical research is fundamental, but spending months or even years discussing it? That doesnt seem a very practical approach and in an everyday conservation process that is very far from reality... The organisation of the congress in its different aspects timing, lunches and visits was flawless. The coordinators and assistant coordinators of the different groups made everything run smoothly and the fact that the different groups could meet after the congress some of those meetings occurred during dinner time was a great idea, so people from different countries could talk and share their thoughts.
The News section is publishing diverse information on cultural heritage topics, such as on-site conservation projects reports, conferences, lectures, talks or workshops reviews, but also course reviews and any other kind of appropriate announcements. If you are involved in interesting projects and you want to share your experience with everybody else, please send us your news or announcements. For more details, such as deadlines and publication guidelines, please visit www.e-conservationline.com
ANA BIDARRA
Conservator-restorer Contact: anabidarra@portugalmail.com Ana Bidarra has a Degree in Conservation-Restoration and a Master Degree in GeoSciences on white structured pigments for restoration. Currently she is a PhD candidate researching the compositional and technological aspects of gold leaf from Portuguese baroque altarpieces. She works as conservator-restorer in private practice since 1999.
Closing remarks by Kate Seymour - Sculpture, polychromy and architectural decoration Group Coordinator.
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REVIEWS
VI SYMPOSIUM OF ART AND SCIENCE Conservation and Restoration of Decorative Arts

Review by Rui Bordalo February 27, 2010 Porto, Portugal Organiser: Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) http://www.porto.ucp.pt/
The VI Symposium of Art and Science (VI Jornadas de Arte e Cincia) was a one day meeting that took place in February 27, 2010 at the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) in Porto. UCP, which teaches several degrees in conservation and restoration, was the organiser of this event. On its sixth edition, this symposium has already some tradition. Since its first edition in 2003, each meeting has been dedicated to a different theme. The present one was dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Decorative Arts. As established by the organisers, the meeting intended to contribute to the valorisation of decorative arts by presenting current conservation and restoration methodologies that are applied to these arts. Decorative Arts gather a wide number of object typologies and materials, and thus an wide number of conservation specialties. This one-day event, somehow short for the number and diversity of the projects and interventions described, was not organised in specialty panels but rather in continuous presentations. The meeting comprised 11 presentations from several specialties. The traditional opening was made by Joaquim Azevedo, director of the School of the Arts (EA) and of
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the Research Center for Science and Technology in Art (CITAR), followed by Gonalo de Vasconcelos e Sousa, director of the Department of Art and Restoration of the School of the Arts. The first presentation was given by Daniela Coelho, from CITAR-UCP. The lecture focused on a study of painted furniture from the late XVII and XVIII centuries of Portuguese manufacture. One of the main objectives was the relationship between the original materials and the techniques used with the actual state of conservation. In fact, there seems to be a difference between those pieces which were ordered for the national market and those with a strong external influence, such as oriental trends. Thus, there were national craftsman ateliers that tried to reproduce some techniques without mastering them which had repercussions on the furniture degradation and its actual state of conservation. The next presentation was given by Eullia Subtil, from EA-UCP, who spoke about an intervention on an XVI century ivory counter. This Indian-Portuguese counter was originally made in Kotte, Ceilan, and is made of teak and ebony wood and completely
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REVIEWS
Opening session (from left to right): Gonalo de Vasconcelos e Sousa, Ana Calvo and Eduarda Moreira da Silva.
General view of the audience during the presentation of Daniela Coelho.
covered by plaques of ivory. These plaques, highly worked in detail with vegetal and geometric motifs, presented several problems such as lacunas and alteration of its aspect. The intervention focused, thus, on the cleaning, consolidation and volumetric reintegration of the ivory. Mafalda Veleda, conservator-restorer in private practice, presented the conservation of an historic interior, more precisely of the wallpapers from Casa de nsua. The presentation promised to be interesting. The lecturer spoke enthusiastically about what the work entailed, from the study of the historical background of the wallpapers to their manufacturing in Germany, their purchase and finally their mounting at that historic house. Due to the long explanation on the historical background the presentation of the actual conservation intervention had to be considerably shortened, nevertheless, the treatment, which included fixation, lacuna filling and chromatic reintegration, was worthy of interest. Conservator-restorer Rita Maltieira presented an intervention on a textile map of England, dating from the XVIII-XIX century. This intervention is part of her master degree project at the Textile Conservation Centre (UK). The map, of silk satin, is characteristic of the English school system from
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the late XVIII century and early XIX century. The map is owned by the Bristol City Museum and was in rather advanced degradation state. The intervention included consolidation with a synthetic adhesive and the making of a support for the storage of the map. Paula Monteiro, conservator-restorer from the Institute of Museums and Conservation (IMC), introduced the audience to the intervention on a most original object, a sedan chair (also know as palanquin or litter). This XVIII century chair belongs to the Museum Quinta das Cruzes, in Madeira. This singular object involves a multiplicity of materials in its making, from the wood structure to the lining and textile wrapping, including woodcarving. The chair structure was so degraded by wood-boring insects that the structure was literally holding up on the exterior textiles. The description of the techniques and materials and of the chairs intricate conservation problems was followed by the step-by-step methodology that was found to overcome all those problems and to achieve an adequate conservation treatment at all levels. After lunch, a presentation was given by Carla Simes and Jlia Fonseca, both conservator-restorers from the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha (St Claire-the-Old). Their presentation was focused
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on the intervention they performed on the archaeological glass found during the excavations at the monastery. This gothic monument was originally abandoned due to the frequent floods and reopened to the public recently, after 12 years of conservation. Next, Belmira Maduro, conservator-restorer at IMC, introduced the audience to the most recent intervention (2008-2009) on Custdia de Belm, a masterpiece of Portuguese goldsmithing. This gold and silver monstrance was made in 1506 by the order of king Manuel I of Portugal. The presentation included a highly detailed view of its construction techniques and their importance for the actual intervention, as well as an overview of past interventions such as the one from 1929. The conservation intervention did not involved only conservator-restorers but a whole team of researches. This team was able to study the materials and construction techniques providing valuable information for the history of the object and for the conservation methodology. Isabel Tissot, conservator-restorer of metals, presented a general overview of some problematics of the conservation of metals and the predominant use of metals in decorative arts. On a richly illustrative presentation, several case studies were discussed, focused on the development of methodologies for the treatment of corrosion and the maintenance of the natural occurring patina. Although the presentation did not focus on the study of a single case, it was very educative for those who are not familiar with that particular area. One of the most discussed interventions was the one given by Nuno Proena, conservator-restorer in private practice, who spoke about a methodology for the treatment of lacunas in old tiles. The results are from an ongoing project that his company is undertaking and thus the results were pree-conser vation
liminary. His approach was based on the use of polymeric materials rather than the traditional preparation of new tiles in large areas of lacunas. The presentation of such method, or just variation of a method according to some, arose some comments although the novelty and use of this methodology may have been somehow misunderstood. However, from my point of view as paintings conservator-restorer, this new method presents a flaw on the level of chromatic reintegration of large areas when no exact model is available. Towards the end of the day, Teresa Lana, conservator-restorer and chief of the Division of Preservation and Conservation of the National Library, introduced the audience to methodologies, equipments and projects that are currently put in practice in the field of conservation and restoration of paper at the National Library in Lisbon. This presentation brought me memories as an ex-intern at that institution during my formative years. Although it was clear to me that most methodologies didnt change much since then, from consolidation to washing and from filling lacunas to bookbinding, it was good to see an update after so many years.
Belmira Maduro(IMC) during her presentation about the conservation of Custdia de Belm.
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Finally, the last intervention was given by Maria Joo Petisca, conservator-restorer at IMC, who spoke about the treatment of a Chinese lacquered folding screen from the XVIII century. This folding screen, made of wood and covered by urushi lacquer, consisted of nine pieces that were once separated and now belong to two separate Portuguese museums. Maintained during part of their life in different conditions, the pieces presented also different state of conservation, and degradations which may also be connected to the urushi application technique. The conservation intervention, performed at IMC, took into account these conditions but presented a similar approach for the conservation of the different pieces once they were part of the same piece of furniture. The meeting finished with the launching of the third number of an annual magazine published by CITAR and dedicated to the study of decorative arts by Gonalo de Vasconcelos e Sousa, who also thanked the audience for their presence and closed the long day meeting. This event is a clear example of dynamism that Universities promoting research in conservation and restoration are having in the organisation of events to support relevant discussions and exchange of information in this field. The next symposium will be dedicated to Research in Conservation of North Portuguese Paintings and is scheduled to take place already on June, 11-12.
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CONSERVATION RESOURCES
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event
The events in this section are linked to the original homepage of the organisers or to the calendar of events at www.conservationevents.com. Click on "Read more..." to find out more details about each event.
Current Practices in Fine Art Reproduction

Date: 16-18 June Place: Los Angeles, CA, USA This symposium will present results of a 30-month proRead more...
Seeing is Believeing: New Technologies for Cultural Heritage

Date: 9 June Place: London, UK Recently there has been an upsurge in the cultural resources available on the web and many collections of this kind are becoming available. This event will provide an opportunity to hear about current work with texts, archives, objects and museum collections, from both a theoretical and an implementation standpoint, and to look at a variety of approaches to the material. There is also a focus on user contribution and the way in which Web 2.0 can offer solutions. Read more...
ject funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that was undertaken to evaluate current practices in fine art image reproduction, determine the image quality generally achievable today, and establish a suggested framework for art image interchange. Results from multiple experiments will be among the inputs used to construct a conceptual framework of the various types of imaging taking place in cultural institutions at present. Results of the project to date will be presented along with related presentations from other experts. The symposium is designed for people involved in all aspects of art image reproduction in museums, libraries and archives. The symposium will consist of talks, panels, tours and an exhibit. Symposium registration will be limited to 125 people.
European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry (EXRS )

Date: 20-25 June Place: Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Portugal EXRS is a biennial conference series devoted to the exRead more... Read more...
36th Annual CAC Conference

Date: 10-12 June Place: Ottawa, Ontario The theme of this year's conference is Sustainability of the Profession. We are interested in exploring how the field of conservation can meet the challenge of creating a more sustainable workplace and environment. Papers will focus on all aspects of conservation including the preservation of First Nations' collections, library and archival material; works of art; objects; furniture; archaeological materials; conservation science and digital media, etc. Two training workshops will be held in conjunction with the Conference: the Conservation of Feathers and Identification and Care of Plastics in Museum Collections.
change of emerging and inventive X-ray spectrometry techniques and related areas, as well as to their important applications. The main topics will be Interactions of X-rays with matter and fundamental parameters; X-ray sources, optics and detectors; Quantification methodology; TXRF, GIXRF and related techniques; Microbeam techniques; Mobile and portable XRF; WDXRS; Synchrotron XRS; PIXE and electron induced XRS; Recent Scientific Developments by XRS Instrumentation Manufacturers; X-ray imaging and tomography; High resolution X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy; XRS Applications. The program will consist of invited lectures, oral presentations, poster contributions and will include an industrial exhibition.
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June 2010
EVENTS
I-CHORA 5: 5th International Conference on History of Records and Archives July 2010
Date: 1-3 July Place: London, UK The conference will address the subject of 'Records, archives and technology: interdependence over time', exploring this subject from a historical perspective, but interpreting it as broadly as possible. It will consider the evolving interrelationships between records, archives and any technology, not just the digital technology of our own time; and will embrace any kind of interdependence, including the role, challenges or opportunities of technology in creating, maintaining or using records. It will provide an opportunity to examine these topics from the standpoint of different disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, archaeology, history, archival science, computer science, law and literary and cultural studies. Read more...
EVA London 2010

Date: 5-7 July Place: London, UK EVA London's conference themes will include, but are not limited to: Digital and computational fine art and photography; Reconstructive archaeology and architecture; Visualising ideas and concepts; Moving and still images in museums and galleries; Digital art; Digital performance; Historic sites and buildings; Immersive environments; Web 2.0 technologies in art and culture; Visualisation in museums and historic sites; Sound, music, film and animation; Technologies of digitisation, 2D and 3D imaging; Virtual and augmented worlds. Read more...
2nd Annual ARCA Conference in the Study of Art Crime

Date: 10-11 July Place: Amelia, Italy The goal of the conference is to bring together international scholars, police, and members of the art world to collaborate for the protection of art worldwide. The conference will feature the presentation of the annual ARCA Awards to honor outstanding scholars and professionals dedicated to the protection and recovery of international cultural heritage. Read more...
Chemistry for Cultural Heritage (ChemCH)

Date: 1-3 July Place: Ravenna, Italy Since the very beginning of conservation and restoration concepts and practice different branches of Chemistry, such as physical, analytical, organic and environmental chemistry have been playing a key role in diagnosis, understanding causes and state of conservation, studying ancient production techniques, developing and evaluating restoration materials and methods, guiding conservators in the planning and execution of conservation-restoration interventions of both movable and immovable cultural heritage as well as in the education and training of conservation professionals. The last decades have seen the introduction of new and advanced chemical technologies applied to the different above mentioned fields of application, improving the capability of the discipline to answer specific conservation-restoration needs. Read more...
In Situ Technical Imaging for Art and Archaeology

Date: 15 July Place: London, UK This symposium will discuss current practice and developing technologies for technical imaging in situ using portable equipment. Recent technical developments in the field will be discussed, together with the application of imaging techniques to specific case studies. Read more...
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July 2010
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WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART:

An interview with Richard McCoy and Jennifer Geigel Mikulay, conducted by Daniel Cull
The internet has increasingly become a central tool of the conservation profession, most notably with the advent of Web 2.0 technologies and usergenerated media. For many the wiki-based online encyclopedia Wikipedia has become a frequently utilized source or first point of call for information. However, Wikipedia is more than an encyclopedia, it is also a platform from which a whole variety of interesting projects have been launched, including a recent conservation themed project entitled: Wikipedia Saves Public Art (WSPA) [1]. Expanding upon the projects stated aim to encourage the creation of accurate, informative and up-to-date articles about public art, this interview aims to discuss this project in more depth with its founders; Richard McCoy and Jennifer Geigel Mikulay, who launched the project along with their students in a Museum Studies class at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
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Michael Mikulay
intervie
INTERVIEW
Daniel Cull: Lets begin with a brief introduction to yourselves and your role within this project. Jennifer Geigel Mikulay: Im on the faculty at IUPUI. I teach visual culture and museum studies. My scholarship deals with public arts civic role, so I am very interested in the ongoing digitization of public art and how that process facilitates or hinders access and engagement. This past fall, I worked with Richard McCoy to pilot Wikipedia Saves Public Art in a museum studies course called Collections Care and Management. The process is documented on my blog [2]. Richard McCoy: Im a conservator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art where I work on all kinds of art, including outdoor sculptures and other things in the public sphere. DC: Im interested in the background to this project. I was wondering how the project came about, and how the Museum Studies course at IUPUI took up the project? Furthermore, I am interested to know whether Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS) [3], a project concerned with documenting public sculpture, and Wikipedia Loves Art [4], an excellent wikipedia/museum world cross over project had a role to play in the development of WSPA? JGM: I learned about SOS! when I was writing my dissertation and collaborated with Civic Studio (a studio art course at Grand Valley State University) to build a website to collect images of people interacting with the first NEA-funded public artwork, Alexander Calders La Grande Vitesse (1969). Doing the Big Red Thing project [5] demonstrated for me that the Web could be a powerful venue for documenting how people use public art. The museum studies class at IUPUI took up WSPA because Richard and I were team-teaching the course and we wanted a concrete, public way for the students to learn about some of the practicalities and
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Zephyr, a stainless steel sculpture by Steve Wooldridge (1998). Photo by LTalley, Some Rights Reserved.
politics involved with being a steward of cultural material. RM: Jenny and I first met through the IMAs Blog and Wikipedia. In early 2008 I wrote about the idea of using Wikipedia as a place to document artworks [6]. But it wasnt until we offered a free lunch with the IMAs Director and CEO, Maxwell Anderson, that people actually started creating articles [7]. Jenny was one of the first 5 people to make an article about an IMA sculpture, Mark DiSuveros Snowplow on the grounds of the IMA [8]. Of course, I was thrilled to find out more about Jenny and her work over the course of time. Her project Big Red Thing really is very cool and close to this project. I have to say, though, that I dont think the idea for creating articles about art in an encyclopedia
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WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART
make a project that pushed the students to work in what they would recognize as the real world in the hopes that they would take their work very seriously and in the end have a finished product they could be proud of and use to demonstrate their abilities to potential employers. Further, the principal notion we wanted to explore is the potential for Wikipedia to operate as a content management system (CMS). Nearly all museums use some kind of CMS, and there are tons of different ones out there, so it seemed a bit silly to teach them how to use one particular CMS. By using Wikipedia as a CMS for cataloguing a collection of public art we could focus on the big concepts and have the students actually help build the structure by which the data would be entered. Museum registrars are constantly working in a CMS and frequently create their own databases for special projects, so we thought this project would be ideal. Also, there are many small to medium-sized institutions around the globe that will never have the money for a CMS, especially one that allows them to publish information on the Web. Those pieces of software can easily cost $100,000, while Wikipedia, one of the most visible websites in the world, is absolutely free and available for use right now. Another big part of WSPA is the photo documentation of public artworks. But due to copyright issues, Wikipedia is not very good at accepting lots of images of contemporary artworks. To work around this problem, students created their own free Flickr accounts and uploaded their images there. We also had a crew tagging these images, so now when you look in Flickr for things about IUPUI you see art and not just images of the campus basketball team. So, with the use of Wikipedia, Flickr, and other web-based technologies, collections can emerge quite easily and become visible components of our cultural landscape.
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Herron Arch 1 by James Wille Faust (2005). Photo by Katie Chattin, Some Rights Reserved.
is necessarily new or unique, but with Wikipedia there is a lot more potential for the number of actual articles and contributors. This process opens up a whole new set of possibilities. Whats to stop us from cataloging all of the public art in the world? WSPA is fundamentally different from SOS! in that SOS! is a closed database that is managed by the Smithsonian; WSPA is completely open, evolving in real-time, and collaboratively managed by everyone. As for the IUPUI component, I was motivated by my own college experiences: I always despised teachers that used a phrase like in the real world you do x or y. I mean, we pay real money to go to school, so college always felt like the real world to me. With this in mind, Jenny and I wanted to
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INTERVIEW
Finally, I want to say that this was just one component of our IUPUI class. The students learned a lot of other things along the way that were not related to Wikipedia, and they had opportunities to meet a number of arts professionals in the city. DC: I was wondering whether previous teaching practices using Wikipedia played a part in developing the curricula? I also noticed from a blog post [9] that at least some of the students on the course were unfamiliar with Wikipedia and social media, which I found somewhat surprising, was this a trend across the student body? JGM: We really learned by doing. I did not have previous experience teaching with Wikipedia, other than occasionally busting students for plagiarizing it. It would have been smart to connect with other college-level teachers using Wikipedia in their curricula, but I didnt pursue that until the semester ended and I began reflecting on the feedback we received from our students. As you note, our students did not have much familiarity with Wikipedia or user-generated Web content generally, which was a total surprise to me. Im a techie, so maybe I assume that others are also really enthusiastic and enjoy experimentation using new digital tools. I also think I bought into the hype about young people being digital natives and assumed our students could easily pick up Wikipedia. I didnt give sufficient attention to how things like gender, persistent economicallybased digital divides, inexperience with art historical research methods, and institutional culture might hinder student embrace of the project. Knowing what I know now, I would devote significant instructional time to stepping students into Wikipedia. Collective Wikipedia navet limited our ability to achieve consistently strong results in the timeframe we had.
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Broken Walrus I, a public sculpture by American sculptor Gary Freeman (dedicated 1976, destroyed ca. 2004). Save Outdoor Sculpture, Indiana survey, 1993. WSPA, Some Rights Reserved.
RM: Its my guess that the data about the use of social media is a moving target. I came away from the project having to re-calibrate some of my thinking about who is creating web content, and a fresh awareness about the relatively small numbers of Web creators versus spectators. I know Forrester Research [10] has published a lot on this but I think even the concepts of social media and a read-write Web are still emerging. DC: One interesting aspect of the documentation process was the inclusion of geographical locations for the public works of art. This seems potentially to be a useful approach to mapping works of art in the public realm. RM: Its become a lot easier to do, and GPS seems to get more popular by the day for the technology sector. Knowing the actual location of a public artwork is extremely important. Its the first step in caring for something. Plus, if you have a GPS location of a public artwork you can then link to lots of other things to it and can create maps and perhaps even virtual tours based on this information. A GPS coordinate can become a central spoke around which all information around it can radiate. For example, if you put a GPS location in a
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Wikipedia article, it automatically links it to a ton of other data, including Google Maps, Flickr maps, OpenStreetMaps, and geocache locations. If you think about how quickly mobile devices are improving, its not hard to imagine having a mobile application that allows you to geolocate a work of public art, take a photo of it, describe what it is, and assess its condition all while in the field. iPhone applications like Gowalla, Geocaching, and Historic Place all are very close to doing exactly that. While I occasionally obsess over little details and the possibilities of a mobile application, I think we should be thinking really big about documenting public art and how it can help us better understand and appreciate our global cultural heritage. Theres lots of very detailed information in Wikipedia about popular culture, but theres really not a lot about art in there. We should change that and at the same time continue to find ways to make Wikipedia help save public art by raising awareness about it; it is, after all, one of the most frequently referenced Websites in the world and public art is the most accessible form of artwork in the world. A match made in digital heaven? DC: In summary, to me, it seems that this project then has several aims: firstly, a short-term aim to document public art on the campus of IUPUI, secondly to demonstrate a potential model for Wikipedia as a content management system (CMS) for public art, and lastly and perhaps most significantly to be a potential catalyst for changes to Wikipediamaking it more arts friendly, in terms of acceptable and quality content. Would you agree with this assessment and what would you see as additional aims? JGM: Yes - youve got it. I also think its good, in an educational context, for people to increase their fluency using digital tools creatively and critically.
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RM: I would only expand on the first part in that Jenny and I, and our other Indy-based collaborators (IUPUI Museum Studies graduate student Lori Byrd Phillips and IUPUI undergraduate alumna Sarah Stierch), continue to see Indianapolis as a testing ground for documenting other collections of public art and exploring what technologies might be the most efficient and effective in this effort. If we can do a good job of documenting the public art here in Indianapolis, why shouldnt other cities around the globe do it? Think of the public art thats in other urban places like New York, London, Berlin, Mumbai, and Tokyo. Not much of it is in Wikipediayet. Weve spoken to a lot of people about using WSPA to document their collections, but Ive come to learn that were a bit ahead of the curve on this. It takes a certain bit of courage and know-how to start using Wikipedia seriously. For whatever reason, art folks dont find contributing to Wikipedia a worthwhile use of their time. Its a shame. Right now we are also looking at ways to optimize current applications and processes to make the project broadly applicable, including developing a way to streamline the use of the SOS! data, and finding ways to make the project accessible to younger editors. Perhaps as we continue on, more communities will take interest and other catalysts will arise that get people motivated to put information about art in Wikipedia. JGM: Implicit in the logic of this project is that caring for public art is not a job we can rely on an individual or organization forits a collective activity best pursued collaboratively and openly. DC: Thats an interesting point and I think such concepts of collective care could be drawn from those that exist within digital culture. The idea that for collaborative online projects to work they
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INTERVIEW
necessitate the establishment of communities who will care for the content, to protect from spam and vandalism, etc. I wonder how else digital culture might play a part in developing the theory and practice surrounding offline/online cross-over projects such as these? RM: Thats a really intriguing question, and one for which Im not sure I have a solid answer. Im optimistic that the collaborative models that are being developed in places like Wikipedia and Flickr will have a push back on the practice of art conservation in particular. So many decisions about the care of our cultural heritage are made by one person working in the basement of a cultural institution. Perhaps as we push this process further into the public domain, there will be a raised awareness about the complexities involved in physically caring for public art. This is slow going right now though. We certainly arent being overwhelmed with people wanting to help us with WSPA. Perhaps that will change and
more people will find value in the project and the process. JGM: Fernanda Vigas and her colleagues at IBMs Visual Communication Lab are doing really interesting research on how collaboration works within Wikipedia. One of the things that concerns me is the lack of gender and racial diversity within the English Wikipedia. If its going to be a credible venue in which many different kinds of people can collaborate using digital tools, Wikipedia will have to lose some its macho, geekocentric culture. DC: A recent press release from IUPUI [11] quite rightly praised various aspects of this project. However, I was wondering personally what do you consider the successes, failures, lessons learnt, in regard to such work relating to Wikipedia? JGM: I was very impressed to see some of the articles written by our students featured on Wikipedias homepage in the Did You Know box. Being
East Gate/West Gate by Sasson Soffer (1973), on loan from the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Photo by Ron Wise, Some Rights Reserved.
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featured there significantly increased traffic to those articles, and it was thrilling to the students. As for failures, I think the quality of some of our articles is poor. Articles that arent well-researched or include obvious errors and carelessness simply reinforce the ideas many have about Wikipedia that its an unreliable, sloppily prepared information resource. I regret that some of our work contributes to that view. RM: Jenny and I have talked a lot about the project in terms of it being a successful teaching tool. But its difficult to truly asses its effectiveness as a teaching tool because we just created it last year and none of our students are actually working in the field now. I might be delusional, but I think that many of them will appreciate the process they learned and understand the project a lot better once they are actually working in a museum. Perhaps they will realize that while Wikipedia was the medium, what they were doing was looking at, researching, cataloguing, documenting, and really considering a collection of art. In the most basic sense they learned to care for art. Along the way, they created a ton of useful information about these artworksmuch, much more than previously existed in the universitys files. The day after the students finished the project I had them rate their feelings about Wikipedia from 0-10. Zero being they would never, ever create another article in Wikipedia in their lifetime, and 10 being they were going home that night to do more work on an article. Out of the 16 students that I spoke to, the average rating was 5.25. Im not really sure what that number means, if anythingand I probably have no way of ever knowing what the students learned in the project. Hopefully the students learned two things: 1) its not really that easy to care for art, and 2) Wikipedia is created by people just like them. I bet they understand Wikipedia now on a fairly profound level,
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and therefore use it more critically. And considering the pervasiveness of Wikipedia, this is a pretty important life lesson for citizens of the 21st century. DC: And as an obligatory add on, what do you think the successes in (and for) the world have been? JGM: I like the way this project brings people into cultural discourse. The skills people gain participating in WSPA are readily transferrable to other sites of civic action. RM: Im not certain I have a good answer for that one. I was talking to a friend about this other day and she was saying that the first 100 people are the most difficult to get interested in any project, but then the next 100 are easy. Im not counting, but I dont think weve gotten to 100 interested folks yet. But what if the project were taught in 5 other museum studies programs in the world? That would be huge. Im hoping someone else tries out our project in an academic setting so we can see how they do with it. DC: I was interested to note that the project also incorporated other social media in the form of a Facebook page [12] and Twitter account [13], I was wondering what role you envisioned for these? JGM: Many of our students were also concurrently enrolled in a Museums and Technology course, which pushed students into Twitter. Richard and I both use it extensively, so we thought it would be an easy way to spread the word about WSPA. The Facebook group was actually student-initiated. Of all of the social media outlets on the Web, Facebook was the most widely used among our students. I dont really think of Twitter and Facebook as particularly effective for outreach, nor do I think we have a goal for outreach, but Twitter and Facebook both work well to broadcast information and gen25
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erate a feeling of energy, and they are both tools we use anyway, so why not use them with WSPA? RM: Like any new project, half the fun is in experimentation. I see both the Facebook and Twitter accounts as experimentsif they fail it will be at no financial cost to us, so they are worth the gamble. Weve brainstormed a number of ways to use these as outreach tools, but were both very busy in our careers so we havent really given them a lot of effort. Our Indianapolis-based collaborators Lori and Sarah have been helping us out with these tools recently, which has allowed more people to experiment with them. Hopefully they evolve into more useful tools. But I know that its awfully hard to create a voice that can be heard through the hubbub of Facebook and Twitter. DC: This has been a fascinating discussion, and Id like to conclude with a bit of a philosophical query, regarding the name, I have to ask how is it that Wikipedia saves public art? By which I mean to wonder how one makes the cognitive leap from consuming content, to creating content on Wikipedia, and finally to real world actions? JGM: That connection only becomes explicit in the doing. Its an investment to work in Wikipedia - it moves people from knowing a subject in a private or small community context toward sharing that knowledge and actually interacting and debating its use in the world. The problem with public art is that it gets taken for grantedits always there, so it almost becomes invisible. As much as I dislike the religious grandiosity of saying were involved with saving something, I recognize that moving people from consuming culture to making it is a Herculean undertaking. Its important to tap concepts and popular technologies that might motivate a person to try something new, assert
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their voice, or contribute their knowledge even when its not their job to do so. RM: Jenny is very kindly not telling you about my occasional obsessions over the name of this project. Ever since we agreed we were going to make this a project for our IUPUI class Ive been thinking about names. Ive had dozens and told her most of them. But shes rightly pushed me away from obsessing over them by referencing her days of playing in bands that spent more time worrying about their name than actually making music. So, in the end, the name isnt all that important. Hell, wed sell naming rights if someone gave us enough money. And by enough I certainly dont mean much. How about something sponsored by a coffee or beer company that supplied us with the necessary beverages? Sorry, I dont mean to make light of the question, but my point is that the title really isnt all that important: its the work that gets done that ends up being important. Having said all of that, I want to take seriously the notion of whether or not SOS! saved any sculptures or if WSPA will be able to save any, much less care for them. I believe that the first step in taking care of any artwork is to understand what it actually is on a physical level. And since there are a ton of artworks in the public sphere that people dont even know about, they arent being cared for at all. In this way, the first step in caring for art is to know where it is, after that you can get to knowing from what it is made, by whom, what it looks like, and finally then know what it is, what it is doing in the world, and how it can be used. To this end, I think there is great potential for a project like ours to serve a real need in caring for our global cultural heritage; it just so happens that we started in Indianapolis.
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Notes 1. Wikipedia Saves Public Art 2. Jennifer Geigel Mikulays Project Blog 3. Save Outdoor Sculpture! 4. Wikipedia Loves Art
studied journalism and political science at Indiana University, Bloomington, and received his MA from NYUs Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center. He received a Samuel H. Kress fellowship to work at the IMA prior to joining the conservation department in 2005. In 2008 he became a Professional Associate of AIC.
JENNIFER GEIGEL MIKULAY

5. Jennifer Geigel Mikulays Big Red Thing Project 6. McCoy, Richard, Calling all present and future Wikipedians, IMA Blog, 2008 7. McCoy, Richard, Wikipedia Entries - Its Just Lunch, IMA Blog, 2008 8. Mark DiSuveros Snowplow 9. Basile, Elizabeth, On New Beginnings: or How Wikipedia Can Help Us All Care for Public Art, IMA Blog, 2009 10. Forrester Research 11. IUPUI Press Release 12. WSPA Facebook Page 13. WSPA Twitter Account Assistant Professor, Public Scholar of Visual Culture Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Website: http://www.mikulay.org/ Contact: jmikulay@iupui.edu Jennifer Geigel Mikulay is an assistant professor and public scholar at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Her research interests include public art, visual culture, new media, communications, and public sphere theory. She earned the first Ph.D. in visual culture studies from the University of WisconsinMadison in 2007.
DANIEL CULL
Assistant Conservator The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) Website: http://dancull.wordpress.com Contact: daniel.cull@themim.org Daniel Cull is an Assistant Conservator at the Musical Instrument Museum, and collaborator with e-conservation magazine. He trained at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, where he received a BSc in Archaeology, MA in Principles of Conservation, and an MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums. He was later awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the National Museum of the American Indian/ Smithsonian Institution.
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RICHARD McCOY
Associate Conservator of Objects and Variable Art Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) Website: http://www.imamuseum.org/ Contact: rmccoy@imamuseum.org Richard McCoy is Associate Conservator of Objects and Variable Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. A former Fulbright Scholar to Spain, McCoy
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article
CONSERVATION-RESTORATION INTERVENTIONS IN EXTREME CASES

Improving the Structural Resistance of Wood Damaged by Biological Attack
by Cornelia and Dinu Svescu
IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK
This paper presents and compares two conservation-restoration methods of wooden supports deteriorated by old-house borer (Hylotrupes Bajulus) biological attack. Research of paint layer surfaces has shown that supports are irreversibly changed by the addition of new materials of the same or a different nature than the original, or by the transfer of the paint layer to a different support. This type of operations leaves specific traces transforming the original by altering it permanently. For this reason a different approach to the problematic of support decay due to biological attack was sought, by avoiding to complete unnecessarily the wood support where the paint layer is sufficiently supported by the substrate. The proposed method is based on the mechanical reinforcement of the broken resistance structures with balsa wood, according to a pre-determined order of priorities.
The mindset formed from conservation practice is that the missing timber due to biological attack should be completed with a quantity of material equal in volume, be it wax, glue, Paraloid, synthetic materials or plaster, etc. These materials are selected because once introduced into the wood support they pass from liquid to solid state. We believe that introducing into the support materials, such as consolidants that become irreversible in time, exceeds the competence of the conservator-restorer, whose duty is to prolong the lifespan of the work of art in its original state, without changing it. Supports are changed by the addition of new materials of the same or a different nature than the original, or by the transfer of the paint layer to a different support. This type of operations leaves specific traces transforming the original by altering it irreversibly. For that reason a different approach to the problematic of support decay due to biological attack was sought. A careful analysis of the work of art before the conservation treatment has shown that: 1) Biological attack breaks the structural resistance of the wood and thereby endangers the existence of the work of art as a whole. 2) After a massive biological attack the weight of the wood required to support the paint layer decreases. Weight measurements have shown that
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the wooden panel is normally oversized for the paint layer it supports. Hence, we sought to respond these issues that occur before the conservation treatment, as follows: 1) In response to the first problem, we tried to connect the broken resistance structures mechanically with balsa wood, according to a pre-determined order of priorities (depending on factors such as the mounting system, the presentation of the work within the iconostasis ensemble, the compression / traction forces that take place during the completion with new wood, etc.).
Figures 1 and 2. Extreme degradation of the support due to biological attack.
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CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU
Figures 3 and 4. As a result of the biological attack, the support was transformed into a box with very thin walls filled with a mass of sawdust.
2) In response to the second problem, we avoided to unnecessarily complete the wood support where the weight of the paint layer was sufficiently supported by the substrate. Case Studies Our team was involved in the conservation of two iconostases that presented these specific problems: the Church of Humor Monastery and the Arbore Church. The two iconostases showed similar conservation problems: both present the same forms of degradation due to widespread biological attack, which caused major degradation of the colour layer. These forms of degradation were identified as being produced by the old-house borer (Hylotrupes bajulus) that has 3mm as a larva and reaches 10 20mm when mature. It is black or brown, elongated by decorated sheaths and has a life cycle of 3 to 10 years. The galleries it creates are branched and disposed in levels. A) At the Church of Humor Monastery, the most severe forms of degradation were present in the centre of the iconostasis at the Apostles register level. The support structure of the iconostasis was weakened at the level of the right column and in
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all the inferior area, destabilizing the connection between the components. The register of Apostles from the central area Deesis scene presented extreme degradation due to biological attack: the inside of the support was practically turned into fine powder and the support behind the paint layer was transformed into a closed box with very thin walls that held inside a mass of sawdust with flour consistency. The support of the icons consisted of a thin layer behind which the wood was converted into powder.
Figure 5. Aspect of an icon before conservation.
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Moreover, if turned upside down, the content of sawdust would move to the other side, as in an hourglass. The entire ensemble was in danger of implosion, collapsing inwards. The reverse is painted in a decorative manner and shows traces of rough trimming, element that provides historical research data. Thus, the iconostasis requires a complete conservation-restoration intervention on both sides.
Figure 6. Detail of support damaged by biological attack.
B) At Arbore, the iconostasis presented most of the same problems. Moreover, 80% of the thin frame of the back of the iconostasis that sustained the ensemble was affected by biological attack. The only element that was still resistant was the beam that connected the north and south walls, which remained the pillar of strength to enhance the resistance of the whole iconostasis structure. The support of the iconostasis from Arbore was built in situ on five registers attached and connected between them through mechanical plug type connectors, then it was plastered and completed by the application of metal leaf and paint layer. Thus, an eventual detachment of the elements from the iconostasis was impossible without jeopardizing the original. Therefore, the back and the resistance frame of the iconostasis were restored in situ. In this paper, we wish to draw attention to our approach to the conservation methodology and treatment. Our treatment proposal starts from the premise that wood structures contain a percentage of moisture and thus, the introduction of consolidants (wax, colophony, varnish of any kind, or any other injectable consolidating material) will reinforce the structure only apparently and will cause irreversible degradation to the wood structure by filling the wood fibre.
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With time, these filled structures are left without the ability to produce a regular exchange with the relative humidity of the microclimate and turn into dust, losing their ability to contribute to the resistance of the wood support. Therefore, the conservation of wood structures decayed by biological attack requires a pragmatic approach based on a technical thinking, with attention to the details of the wood structural resistance. The intervention is necessary and appropriate only in those cases when the structural support resistance is compromised inducing degradation of the paint layer. Even in this case, the intervention must be limited solely to the consolidation of those structures that are necessary to the resistance of the ensemble. In case the resistance of the structures is not affected we can say that once stopped, the biological attack removes a part of material that is of no use as long as the scope of the support is to sustain the colour layer; the support is often oversized when compared to the paint layer. Therefore, it is very important to know the actual weight of the layer of paint (together with the ground) to be supported by the wood structure. After determining the weight of the paint layer at
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the two monuments we found that at Humor it has 31.4 kg 3% for 35 square meters, and at Arbore cca. 54.8 kg 3% for 54 square meters. However, the support and the resistance structure that are sustaining the above values are in fact capable of handling cca. 443 kg in the first case and cca. 657 kg in the second. The fact that the structure was built on a fixed scaffold with the extremities fasten into the north and south walls increases its ability to support more weight, which can become 1000 times bigger than that necessary to support the colour layer. The two types of forces that are generated - compression (from the layer of paint) and bending (at the back of the iconostasis) - can be obtained by the following mathematical formula to calculate the bending strength: Q (sigma) = 3 . P.I [N/m2] 2.b.h
widespread biological attack is a matter of reinforcing the structural resistance and not a matter of filling, of replacing old timber with new one or of consolidation with natural or synthetic products. The problem of timber consolidation by injection is old and was already mentioned in the 18th century by Dionysius of Fourna in The Painter's Manual, in the section that speaks about "How to repair an old and decayed icon": "When you want to repair an old and decayed icon, do this: if the back of it is rotted and worm-eaten, first clean off the rotten parts thoroughly and shake off the dust. Then soak it in glue so that the panel is well impregnated and put it in the sun to dry; only be careful not to let the glue go through to the other side and ruin the painting. Next take some sawdust and mix it with glue and fill the holes with it; when it is dry either give it a gesso covering or strengthen it by gluing some cloth on to the back. Since then, it has been generally sought to replace the material of the damaged support with a new one occupying the same volume. The same is true today with the use of synthetic products injected in the work of art. To better understand the real impact of consolidation by injection with organic or synthetic products, an experiment was carried out in which the penetration depth of the consolidants was measured in ideal conditions. The aim was to see how deep the consolidants can penetrate into the sample and how many structures it can link between them. To that end, a cardboard box was constructed and filled with fine sawdust extracted from an icon. For the first test, an aqueous solution of skin glue at 6% was injected and for the second, a Ketone solution of Paraloid B72 at 4%. In both cases 10 ml of consolidant were injected.
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Where: - P is the force that breaks the sample (expressed in newtons, N); - I is the distance between the resting points of the sample (expressed in meters, m); - b is the base of the samples cross-section (expressed in meters, m); - h is the height of the samples cross-section (expressed in meters, m). Of course, this formula is not really needed to calculate the strength of a structure to see whether it can support or not the colour layer! This exercise only helps us understand that in general the wooden support behind the paint layer is oversized and when biological attack occurs, we can consider that it diminishes a useless ballast. Our approach angle should be that of understanding the relation between the overall and its components and that the conservation of timber that suffered a
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The results were very clear and similar in both tests: the consolidants do not penetrate as deep as would be ideal, but when placed into the sample, they are instantly surrounded by sawdust which basically stops the further penetration of the solution inside, forming a compact bowl that does not regenerate the cohesion of the wood destroyed by biological attack. This is due to several reasons such as the different polarity of the component materials, the hydrophobic substances in the wood composition and the surface tension among other. In case such degraded support is injected at several points, we obtain a series of bowls, which unnecessarily increase the weight of the icon, without achieving the consolidation effect. Moreover, we introduce into the work of art a new material which has its specific particularities, creating tensions other than those of the icon, and that has effect on the colour layer, the ageing cracks, the fissures along the fibre, etc. It is known that all the materials introduced into the work of art produce specific types of degradations that eventually reach the surface of the paint layer, altering its integrity and particularities. This is especially true for the support, which greatly contributes to the production of ageing cracks and fissures on the surface of the paint layer. By employing these methods and knowing their effects in time, we simply change the normal lifespan of the work of art and thereby violate one of the principles of conservation, namely to preserve the character of the work of art as it has reached us. Operations such as the transfer of the paint layer on a new support with the same age and essence as the original and parquetry operations have the same shortcomings, the final result being the same, i.e., changing the specific features of the work.
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In what concerns the manual of Dionysius of Fourna, it responded to 18th century demands which were very different from those of today. Then, the artwork had to primarily represent and literary describe the reality, and for this it had to be as complete and linear as possible so that the message would be quickly learned. Today the conservator-restorer is asked to preserve the original as a matter of collective memory and a valuable experience, which lays on the foundation of the contemporary thinking that he /she needs and supports. Taking into consideration the above methods and knowing their results, it was decided to establish the exact issues that needed to be addressed and then choose the most appropriate conservation method. The conservation state of the icons from Humor, previously described, did not allow us to intervene on the front or the back because of the existence of a paint layer which was decided to be preserved. Also, the need to remount the icons on the iconostasis in their places, vertically and resting on their bases, forced us to intervene on the sides of the icons. Our aim was to restore the links between the healthy structures inside icons, considering that this will restore the initial mechanical strength of wood substrate, while adding an amount of new timber as low as possible. The first step was to make a photographic documentation and weight measurements as detailed as possible. After this, the verso was detached from the front and the sawdust was eliminated. It was found that the biological attack was produced in levels and then we proceeded with the consolidation of the resistance structures between them. For this, balsa wood was used due to its
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Figures 7-11. Details (left) and general view (above) of an icon support. Consolidation of the resistance structures, connected mechanically with balsa wood.
qualities, namely the reduced specific weight (0.16 kg), bending coefficient (14 kJ/m3) and compression ratio in the fibre direction (14 900 N/m3). The resistance structures were mainly strengthened from the basis of the icons towards the vertical axis. These structures had the most important contribution to the conservation of the icon. Afterwards the edges that had the role of closing structures between the verso and the front were mounted. The mounting of complete reinforcement structures on the sides of the icons induced new tensions that had to be counterbalanced by opposite forces. Conservation interventions were performed according to the priorities established in the beginning, which stated that the first priority should be given to the reconnection of the healthy structures between them, on the path of the forces that discharge at the basis.
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Figures 12-16. Details (right) and general view (above) of an icon support. Consolidation of the resistance structures, connected mechanically with balsa wood.
The second priority was the construction of the resistance support according to the mounting type of the icons on the iconostasis. If the icons would have had a different mounting system on the iconostasis, the interior structure would have been built with another configuration. The third priority was finding the correct and equilibrated rapport between the original and the newly introduced forces, with as little addition of wood as possible and the minimum contact of this material with the original. This was achieved by creating mobile connections between the new structures and half-mobile connections between these last structures, by constructing counterforce elements using materials with different flexible capabilities and by using wood of different thicknesses. The linking system of the new structures was based on mechanic connections (tongue and groove) whenever possible, and with skin glue (8%) and
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Figures 17-19. General view (above) and details (below) of an icon support. Consolidation of the resistance structures, connected mechanically with balsa wood.
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Figure 20. General view of an icon support. Consolidation of the resistance structures, connected mechanically with balsa wood.
preservative deposited solely in the anchoring points and not on the entire contact surface. At the end, the timber support of the front and back of the icon were closed as in a box with lid. At the iconostasis from Arbore, the conservation approach took into account the specific state of degradation of the paint layer in relation to the
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support. Because this layer presented a good adhesion to the substructures from the immediate vicinity (about 5 mm depth) and because deeper inside the support the connections were destroyed by the biological attack, it was considered that the most appropriate approach would be to link the substructures between them, from the paint layer inwards. This was achieved by introducing a
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number of approx. 2400 elements made of acacia wood with thickness less than that of the flight holes, that were placed inside them to take over the bending forces of the support. In this context, measurements to determine the weight of the component layers were made, as follows: A) The paint layer weighs ~ 54.8 Kg. This value was obtained by measuring a sample of 8 grams and multiplying it by the total area of the iconostasis. B) The support weighs ~ 657 kg. This value was obtained by measuring the mass of several detachable support elements. The support is able to withstand a weight 10 times bigger, i.e., 6.570 kg. Afterwards it was proceeded with the localisation and identification of the healthy structures on the back of the icons. These were linked between them with wooden rods placed through the flight holes
in anchor type connections with cross direction. After drying the new materials introduced into the work of art it was found that the support has a visibly improved resistance and the paint layer has a better adhesion to the substrate.
Figures 21-23. General view of some icons from the Apostols register after conservation treatment.
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Figure 24. Final aspect of the isonostasis from the Church of Humor Monastery after conservation.
Conclusions 1. Consolidation by different types of injection with various consolidants, whether of animal or synthetic nature, does not solve the problems of cohesion between the layers of timber damaged
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by biological attack. The consolidation of the support by the injection of different solutions should only be used where tests confirm a positive result and where other methods of consolidation may not apply. 2. The transfer to a new support made of different
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type of wood, or to other types of support, can cause major degradation of the paint layer, causing an accelerated degradation rather than a consolidation of the support (eg., through new cracks due to the shrinkage forces of the fibre of the new wood introduced into the work). 3. The treatment of the timber that has suffered a massive biological attack should be addressed by focusing the attention on issues such as the resistance of the component structures and the tensions between them, the interpretation of the objects based on their location after the conservation treatment and the conditions of micro and macro climate in which the objects will be preserved. Resistance problems must be resolved by the use of wooden elements that balance each other in terms of stress, and which must be put into the work by welding points and not by applying adhesive on the entire contact surface. Elements of new wood should be used so as to follow the path of the old wood resistance structures.
Figure 25. Detail of the Apostols and Holy Days registers after conservation.

Conservator-restorers contact@savescu.com Cornelia Savescu is a panel paintings conservator. She has a degree in Monumental Art and Restoration (1984) from the Fine Arts Institute Nicolae Grigorescu. She specialized in the conservation of panel paintings (1985-1988) at the Centre of Professional Training in Culture (CPPE) of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. She worked as a conservator at the National Art Museum in Bucharest (1984-1987) and was a lecturer at the National Art University, Conservation-Restoration Department (1997-2005). Dinu Savescu has a degree in painting (1984) from the Fine Arts Institute Nicolae Grigorescu. He specialized in the technique of oil painting on wood and canvas (1985-1988) at the Centre of Professional Training in Culture (CPPE) of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. He worked as a curator / conservator at the National Art Museum in Bucharest (1984-1987). He is a member of the Romanian Fine Art Association, Painting Specialty. Cornelia and Dinu Savescu have worked for more than 20 years in the conservation of panel paintings and other wooden objects and works of art. Their experience includes complex conservation projects such as the Iconostasis of several monuments from Romania (Sf. Silvestru - Bucharest, Voronet, Moldovita, Humor, Sf Gheorghe Iasi, Kretzulescu), conservation of furniture and frames, and restoration of icons (15-19th century) and oil paintings on canvas in private collections from Romania, Greece, Germany, Switzerland. They participated in national and international research projects and workshops, published several specialty papers and have a rich expositional activity.
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THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL ART PRESERVATION

by Lino Garca and Pilar Montero Vilar
The need to preserve digital art is already an emergency. Digital art heritage is endorsed by UNESCO. Museums, foundations, collectors, etc. increase their collections and at the same time increase the associated problems with the unstable media conservation, rapid technological obsolescence, and the lack of development methodologies, documentation, conservation and restoration. The tools and protocols available for the proper conservation of such assets are still scarce and the process becomes virtually a forensic experience. The first part of the article is a categorisation of digital art, which is a starting point for the understanding of its complexity and scope. The second part describes various approaches to preservation on a discussion that combines both categories and attempts to clarify the challenges that are imposed by this relatively new expression of contemporary art.
LINO GARCA AND PILAR MONTERO VILAR
Introduction The necessity of preservation of the digital heritage is, at the moment, a desperate claim. Its own unstable nature requires an urgent intervention. International institutions such as UNESCO are aware of it. However, except for the case of editorial, bibliographical and documental heritage, the current initiatives and efforts are insufficient; the techniques and applicable methodologies are even scarcer, not just for conservation and restoration, but also for documentation and cataloguing. This complex, multidisciplinary and urgent issue poses a major challenge to museums, galleries and institutions. In this article, the authors carry out a study of the state of the art in the conservation and restoration of digital heritage and, in particular, of digital art. A categorisation scheme of digital art is proposed herein as a starting point of the analysis of its complexity. Next, the strategies of conservation and restoration are also covered. Finally, the application complexity of these approaches is discussed according to the previous categorisation and the increasing challenge that the new multidisciplinary approach represents, as well as the technological obsolescence and the absence of methodologies, standards, etc.
Defining the unstable: the categorisation challenge The preservation of contemporary art, and of digital art in particular, is sort of a forensic science1. The concept conversion in art turned into case-bycase strategies of preservation, instead of general ones. The conservation and restoration of each work, usually with a strong temporal, unstable and ephemeral character, requires an analysis and a particular approach as diverse as the contemporary art itself. Figure 1 is a map of the categorisation of digital art. The left side shows a Venn2 diagram of a possible constellation, while on the right side there is the correspondent hierarchically ordered caption. The widest category (universe) in this representation of groups (unstable media) contains all the ephemeral artistic manifestations, or those of unstable nature, being a subset of a bigger universe: the contemporary art. The new media art is a term frequently but inappropriately used to refer to artistic contemporary practices in the intersection of art and technology. The art and technology discipline gathers those activities that benefit of new technologies, not necessarily applied to communication, while the new media art comprises those artistic expressions based on technologies of the communication media [1]. Laura Barreca [2] shows a constructivist approach based on the combination of the three C: computing, communication, content. This way, a work is considered new media when it uses the outcome of some of the possible combinations. For example, communication + computing = mobile telephony; communication + content = cable TV and interactive TV; content + computing = CD-ROM, DVD; etc. Digital art has multiple meanings. In this context digital arts are those artistic practices that consume, process and/or produce digital information,
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1 As for the application of scientific practices to the conser-
vation process.
2 Venn diagrams are representations of the set theory that
shows graphically the mathematical or logical relationship between different groups of things (sets). Each set is normally represented by an oval or circle but we allowed ourselves to represent them as rectangles. The diagram is an approach towards a graphic and organized representation of the multiple terms used in this environment and their interrelations; the volumes of the sets do not carry information and the intersections are not very accurate.
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Figure 1. Categorisation of Digital Art.
usually audiovisual, that always demands the use of a computer, or at least of those technologies with digital processing capacity such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, digital signal processors, etc. From this point of view, the traditional videoart, for example, should not be considered digital art even when the most reasonable conservation strategy is the digitisation of the media, with the highest quality possible and should not be exclusively restricted to the use of analogical videotapes. Figure 1 shows a small intersection between the two categories which take into consideration these cases. Very different is the intersection between videoart and interactive art, where those interactive works that use, somehow, digital video to generate new realities coexist. Videoart is static by nature since it documents a process and/or artistic result, while the interactive videoart is dynamic, ephemeral and time-based. The uncertainty of this universe is conditioned by the decadence of the environment we live in. Everything is condemned to die. Only the continuous human intervention makes possible to prolong the existence of inanimate objects. Any media, no
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matter how robust, is exposed to an erosion process by its interaction with the environment, whether biological, chemical or physical, or even any possible combination of these. The power of the digital media is related with the form in which it appeals to the senses3 [3]. However, it contains an additional ingredient that accelerates its expiration date: the uncertainty that produces its own development. This continuous process of technological versioning makes that todays fashionable tools will lose their support tomorrow. When any element of the complex digital skeleton of a work fails, and there is no technical support, it inevitably dies. Digital art is intimately connected to science and technology and this relationship has, in fact, the biggest influence on its categorisation. Terms
3 Bruce Wands draws attention to the participation of the
spectator in interactive art. Wands says The traditional museum and gallery etiquette of 'Look, dont touch' cannot be applied to interactive art, which requires the participation of the viewer and can be more accurately described as 'Look, please touch'.
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such as digital art, electronic art, multimedia art and interactive art are often used indistinctly as synonyms of the new media art [4]. The ambiguity in the description and use of these terms, as shown in figure 1, is due to the multiple and complex interrelations between them. Digital art is a subset of the new media. New media basically consider other artistic practices such as videoart and video installations not necessarily related with digital art. This last one closely resembles videoart [5]. According to established perspectives, digital art categorisation could help understand its techniques and purposes, and it is usually related to the final media that the artwork adopts, no matter its process. There is a certain consensus which considers that digital art often takes the form of data. As Bruce Wands stated, Whether or not this data is transformed into something more concrete depends on artist. As computers grow more powerful and software more sophisticated, the variety of forms (often referred to as polyforms or meta-forms) that the data can assume is increasing. For example, a virtual object created with three-dimensional modelling and animation software can end up as a single image, as animation, or it can be output as sculpture. The animation or image can also be incorporated into a website and thus exist on the internet as net art [3]. Software art and computer art are two categories used indistinctly to define, imprecisely, the same thing. Computer art is any practice in which computers play the role of production or visualisation of the work. Software art, however, is related to the creation by means of algorithms [6] and it is centred in the code itself4. An algorithm is a well defined, ordered and finite list of operations that allows to find the solution to a problem through consecutive and well defined steps. Roman Verotsko
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says that the whole art uses algorithms in an implicit way, what happens is that we make it explicit focusing our art in the algorithm [6, p. 66]. The database art is a variation that uses data as the work substance. The art of digital imaging, includes works that were created or manipulated digitally to be printed in a traditional way [7]. The image can also be combined with traditional media, such as drawing and painting, or incorporated in installations, sculptures or videotape projections [3]. The art of digital sculpture comprises those projects of creation of three-dimensional objects that use digital technology. The virtual sculpture emerged as an evolution of the digital sculpture5. In the virtual world the sculpture rules have no limits: there is no gravity, and the nature, location and size of the materials are infinite. The artist does not only have absolute freedom in the creation of their piece but they can also examine it from any point of view and can create a virtual and interactive world to place it in. The sound art and that of digital music are commonly related with the plastic action or performance art, the sound, the listening and the hearing. Like many of the contemporary art genres, sound art is interdisciplinary by nature, or it adopts hybrid forms. It is related with acoustics, psychoacoustics, electronics, noise, audio like media
4 According to Alsina [6] "today software art is based on the
consideration that software is not only a functional instrument, but rather an artistic creation itself: the resulting aesthetic material is the generated code and the expressive form is the programming" (free translation).
5 [] the sculptural work never assumes the form of an
actual physical object but resides as a file within cyberspace or within the virtual world of the computer [1].
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and technology (even analogic), environmental sound, exploration of the human body, sculpture, film or video and an entire group of aspects in expansion that are part of the current speech of contemporary art [8]. The animation art and digital video art is the digital counterpart of the traditional animation, cinematography and video. The 3D computer animation belongs exclusively to the digital domain. The production of audio, video, and even high quality digital cinema, thanks to the spectacular development of the techniques, instruments and devices of audio and digital video, have broaden their use by even questioning the own essence of the audiovisual market. The interactive art comprises all those practices that usually require the interaction or the spectator's participation without the artist's control. The possibility that interactivity offers of getting the spectator-participant involved has been frequently used in artworks of social character. Digital installations constitute interactive environments built with digital technology such as processors, microcontrollers or computers, sensors, communication devices, etc. that can be as complex as any robotic system6. This is one of the most complexes and fascinating areas in digital art, with more expansion in contemporary art, and the one that presents greater conservation and restoration challenges.
Virtual reality allows the creation of experiences of immersion. In general a computer interface that generates artificial environments in real time or representations of a perceptive reality is considered without an objective support. The virtuality establishes a new form of relationship between the use of space and time coordinates, overcomes the temporal-space barriers and configures an environment in which the information and communication are accessible from perspectives that were ignored up to now, at least regarding their volume and possibilities. Life art and artificial intelligence (a-life) were born from the old aspiration of reproducing the characteristics of life by means of the intersection of robotics engineering, computer science, and biology7. The term was used for the first time at the end of 1980 in the first International "Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of the Alive Systems" in the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Some of the recurrent topics are artificial evolution, simulation of ecosystems, cellular robots, behaviour in robotics, etc. The net art [9] defines the artistic activity based on the Internet. The use of Internet like mean of expression8 limits the technologies and specific services that can be used, such as websurfing, email and file transfer, and, in turn, affects the specificity of its conservation, restoration and interaction.
6 They manipulate data in real time, responding to the be-
8 "Appropriation is something so normal that it is almost
haviour of certain information either from the environment, from the audience or algorithmically generated.
7 Christopher G. Langton, American biologist founder of the
study of artificial life, defines it as "the study of systems built by human beings (artificial) that exhibit characteristic behaviors of natural alive systems (biological) [6, p.75].
taken for granted" [4, p. 13]. Although it is a property that is normally associated to new media, it is practically natural to the Internet-based art. "Internet and the file-sharing networks give artists an easy access to images, sounds, texts and other resources. This hyper-abundance of materials, combined with the ubiquitous function cut/paste of computer software, has contributed to clarify the idea that is better to create something from nothing than to borrow it".
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The game art is a special type of the software art: it works with code written by the artist where the game is considered an artwork. Most of the times the game is played by means of a browser, keyboard and mouse. What makes them art and not only games? For some, the fact that they are made as art, for others the fact that they are exhibited as art [10]. A common manifestation of this is the manipulation of classic games, either as their reinterpretation on the same support, or on a virtual platform or any other medium like the Internet. The frontier between all these artistic practices is usually very blurred, independently of categorisation and uses. A computer code can generate data (information) of multiple dimensions9, in a centralised or distributed system, with generic or specific tools. The different combinations will place the work in a certain category that, in the case of intersections, will probably be labelled to the smallest category that includes all the subsets. A video, or even a video channel10, would probably be considered videoart or video installation if it is part of a sculptural complex, or interactive art if it requires some sort of interaction. It will be an animation in case it is generated by a computer, virtual if it does not correspond to some reality or net art if it is based on the Internet11.
In this context, categorisation can be very useful to find the best way to document, to preserve, and even to restore an artwork. These practices should be methodical, meticulous, exhaustive and well documented, as they constitute, in fact, the art of conserving the digital heritage. Conserving the unstable: the challenge of getting it right The multiplicity of perspectives that are interrelated in the preservation of digital art requires a deep theoretical reflection on the aspects involved in the conservation and preservation of digital art. After forty years a narrow transdisciplinary collaboration becomes absolutely necessary between all the agents involved: stakeholders, artists, curators, conservator-restorers and collectors. Organizations, museums and organisms that collaborate in research projects in search of solutions are increasingly collaborating with each other. In general, work policies and methodologies are related with three different problems: exhibition, collection and conservation. Although this paper only discusses the challenge of conserving digital art, they are all closely related12. The preventive conservation in the context of digital art is directly related to the availability of the work.
9 The sound is a one-dimension signal; the image is bi-di-
mensional; the video, the cinema and the sculpture are three-dimensional and the interactive installations are tetra-dimensional.
10 The difference is totally functional. The video is a closed
movements of an industrial robot arm". This work, developed at the University of Southern California and available (online) since June of 1995, and whose keywords could be installation, telepresence and participation, is considered, however, interactive art.
12 Media Art Resource, Electronic arts intermix. The project
work and stored in digital format while a video channel is a video source in real time that captures certain reality, such as surveillance, which uses security cameras.
11 The artwork Telegarden by Ken Golberg and Joseph Santar-
romana is a good example of it. "The TeleGarden is an art installation that allows web users to view and interact with a remote garden filled with living plants. Members can plant, water, and monitor the progress of seedlings via the tender
EIA Online Resource Guide to Exhibiting, Collecting & Preservation Media Art establishes a series of common guidelines: introduction, good practices, basic questions, processes, contract/condition reports (according to which cases), costs, teams and technologies, interviews and articles. It contains three categories or typology of works: monochannel video, computer-generated works and installations.
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Strategies Although there are many people involved in the preservation of contemporary art, there are very few strategies for the survival of digital art and in fact, they are not exclusive for this category, as they are often applied to the new media. Most of the documentation and conservation proposals of contemporary art only pay attention to those works that dont make use of digital technology, such as sculpture installations, or non-complex type, such as a video installation. The most common strategies used in the conservation of digital art are: Storage It is only possible to substitute a damaged element if it is available in stock. This is the most basic strategy and it lies in accumulating the largest quantity of devices of a certain technology in order to guarantee its readiness in the event of damage or replacement due to wear. The strategy is effective in the short term but is inappropriate as the speed of obsolescence of a certain technology increases, and notoriously bad to capture contextual aspects of the works, which makes it useless for net art. This strategy has some variants such as: the refreshing, which consists in the periodic transference of the digital information of a media in danger of obsolescence to a better adapted media; the
restoration, which cleans or repairs a file or device when a new version replaces the original one; and the networked storage that uses computers connected13 by a persistent loop of data that maintains critical files in circulation or as multiple copies cloned on several hard disks. Migration Migration consists in upgrading the format of a work from an old media to an up-to-date one14, for example, from the VHS video format to DVD. The DVD, for example, uses MPEG2 codec which is a codification format with loss of information. In order to guarantee the minimum degradation of a video, lossless conservation formats should be used rather than the ones used for distribution. The degeneration or loss of quality increases exponentially with the migration generation. A migration of third or fourth generation doesn't probably satisfy the minimum quality required by the artist. This problem is accentuated when a comparison assessment is not possible, and involves the loss of quality in order to keep the integrity of the original. This strategy assumes that the preservation of the content or information of an artwork with respect to the fidelity of its aspect and perception is more important than the change of its media. Emulation Emulation is a process of simulation of an obsolete platform (technological support that constitutes the media of the artwork15) in a new one. The aim of this strategy is to maintain alive an artwork even though its original media is obsoletc. The emulation is usually considered, instead of migration, only in those cases where the original code of the artwork is preserved. The emulation program, from this point of view, is a kind of virtual machine that emulates the behaviour of an old one and is able to execute the same code in a new support.
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13 Cloud computing offers a special opportunity to distribute
information copies or clones throughout the world. This type of architecture provides storage services that ensure data protection to natural disasters.
14 In this sense, refreshing is closer to migration than to
storage.
15 It could be an operating system, a program, the appear-
ance of a video game console, or an electronic device.

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Migration implies repetition as new formats are developed while in emulation, this continuity is only the responsibility of a virtual machine. The use of a virtual machinery16 instead of just a virtual machine expands the capabilities of the emulation. In both cases, it is essential that the upgrade and migration speed of the virtual support is as slow as possible, this being one of the highest impact characteristics in the struggle with time. It is also important to have the guarantee of support and long term maintenance. Another important characteristic is the implementation of an architecture with high absorption capacity of any technology. Although it still does not exist, a technological architectural standard that meets the needs of digital art preservation is a demand. This is why it is so important to work with open17 and standard environments and with free tools. The proposal of a standard, or group of standards, for the documentation, preservation and restoration of digital art is also a priority. Reinterpretation It is the most powerful preservation strategy, but at the same time, one with greater risks. It consists in reinterpreting the work each time it is re-created. The reinterpretation can require the writing of a code for a totally different platform following a group of specific instructions in situ with respect to the installation, or to renovate a work in a contemporary media with the metaphoric value of an outdated media. This technique is very dangerous without the assurance or approval of the artist, but it may be the only way to guarantee the re-creation, installation, or re-design of the artwork. Duplication This strategy is applied to the media that can be perfectly cloned. There is no difference between the original and the copy.
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Case Studies Each artwork should be treated as unique, and can be considered a case study. All the previous strategies can be applied to almost any category. However, it is necessary to consider the particularities of each case and to value the suitability of each tool, cost, etc. TV-Garden, for example, created in 1974 by Nam June Paik, is a work considered by some as New Media Art, and by others as Video Installation and even Electronic Art18. It is an installation that celebrates the diffusion of television like a garden that extends, composed of natural plants and monitors with intermittent images. The application of the storage strategy to this work would require to stock a large quantity of monitors identical to the originals. The migration, however, would allow to replace these monitors with others from a different manufacturer. The emulation would be even more permissive, and it would allow the digitization of the installation so that modern digital monitors such as LCD, Plasma or OLED, could be used. This last strategy would facilitate the preservation of the work in a totally digital world. Finally, the reinterpretation of the work would have no qualms about using monitors of different size. In each case, the most important is the preservation of the artists intention and of the perceptual quality, which diminishes as permissibility increases. Most of these variables can be clarified with a good documentation, and with the artist opinion and supervision. A good documentation,
16 System of systems where several digital devices have the
responsibility of running code from an obsolete platform.

17 In terms of interconnection of the systems. 18 The video installation is a subset of new media for which
it seems to be a more specific category. However, the correspondence with electronic art is given more for its nature than for the means of the expression itself.
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in fact, should clearly quantify the perceptual quality of the images, a process for which the artist is not prepared and probably neither the institution that acquires the artwork. Otherwise, how can one know when the monitor fatigue degrades the image? How to prepare the illumination to obtain the same visual effect? How do the conditions and storage time affect the operation of the work? There are categories with well defined technological features such as net art. The pieces, data and code that share hard disk space in a server can satisfy in a greater or lesser degree either official or de facto standard, or can be more or less related to certain technologies. The use of standards can be a good strategy because they usually keep a certain level of compatibility with the previous technological versions and have a higher endurance to change. The protocol of data communication TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a good example. In 1969 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) created ARPANET, a R&D project to develop an experimental net of package exchange. This net evolved until 1975 when it became totally operational. The TCP/IP protocols were developed during that period. In 1983 the protocols were adopted as a military standard and all the machines connected to ARPANET had to migrate to those protocols19. At the end of 1983 the original ARPANET was divided in two subnets, MILNET, the unclassified part of the DDN (Defense Network Dates) and a new and more reduced ARPANET. The group of those nets was named the Internet. Finally, in 1990 ARPANET disappeared but the Internet remains as the net of nets.
TCP/IP are open and free standard protocols. Their development and update are carried out consensually and not according to manufacturer strategies. Anyone can develop products that are consistent with the specifications. They are software and hardware independent. Their wide use makes them especially suitable for interconnecting different manufacturer devices, not only for the Internet but also for local networks. They provide a common address scheme that allows a TCP/IP device to find another in any point of the net. Moreover, they are high level standardized protocols that support services to the user and they are broadly available and consistent. To change the programming of all the TCP/IP devices that constitute the Internet, some of them using protocols dating from 1975 that work, means a cost, an effort and a collaboration almost impossible to imagine. However, the use of less common technologies of a certain manufacturer with multiple versions represents a risk. Companies follow expansion policies, merge and even go to bankruptcy according to the market more than they offer guarantees required by their customers. A proprietary technology has a shorter expiration date than a standard one, which is empowered by a community of internet users, scientific and/or academic institutions, etc. To migrate a net artwork means to modify code over and over again which requires a continuous and considerable effort. The emulation means to upgrade a virtual machine, probably the server and the client, and to preserve any and every of the involved obsolete technologies. To reinterpret means to re-create the work with completely different technologies. It should be mentioned that the diskette, which was the normal support for the distribution of any technology in the 80s and 90s, belongs now in a museum, and it is not supported by most of 2009 computers.
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19 In order to facilitate this migration, DARPA BBN (Bolt, Bera-
nek & Newman) was founded to implement the protocols TCP/ IP in the Berkeley Unix system (BSD Unix). This was the beginning of the long union between TCP/IP and UNIX.
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However the migration, emulation, and even the reinterpretation can be the best options when the adopted technology is prepared to resist obsolescence. Anyway, the core strategy is to remake the work in a robust and well-documented technology that makes its display, conservation and restoration easier for the museum. Conclusions It is clear that the mobilization and cooperation of entities such as museums, collectors, foundations, and other institutions in favour of the preservation and restoration of digital art is not enough. The answer to the concern of UNESCO with this kind of heritage has been focused on documentation. There is still much effort to do regarding the technology, its stability, methodologies and their most dangerous natural characteristic: the obsolescence. A remarkable special feature is the need of involving the artist in the documentation, preservation and restoration processes. The preservation of the digital heritage is a multidisciplinary technological forensic activity that requires appropriate training, not only for the new conservators but also for the artists themselves. The control of the appropriate technology is as important as the development of methodologies that raise good practices and pass them on to all the agents involved: technicians, conservators and artists. Digital heritage did not survive the passing of time. This is both a problem and a reality: challenges are there and action is urgent. Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge the willingness and collaboration of the preservation and restoration department of the National Museum Centro
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de Arte Reina Sofa and to thank Laura Barreca, who facilitated the access to their important research on the detection of the needs and problems that the preservation of digital art poses. References [1] M. Tribe, J. Reena, Arte y Nuevas Tecnologas, Taschen, Germany, 2006 [2] L. Barreca, Il di bat tito internazionale into rno al la conservazione e alla documentazione della New Me dia Art, 1995-2007, PhD thesis, Universit degli Studi della Tuscia di Viterbo, Viterbo, 2008 [3] B. Wands, Art of the Digital Age, Thames & Hudson, London, 2006 [4] M. Rush, Nuevas Expresiones Artsticas a Finales del Siglo XX, Ediciones Destino, Thames & Hudson, Barcelona, 2002 [5] S. Martin, Videoarte, Taschen, Germany, 2006 [6] P. Alsina, Arte, Ciencia y Tecnologa, Editori al UOC, Barcelona, 2007 [7] C. Paul, Digital Art, Thames & Hudson, London, 2008 [8] D. Kahn, Noise, Water, Meat: A History of Sound in the Arts, MIT Press, Cambridge, 2001 [9] R. Greene, Internet Art, Thames & Hudson, London, 2004 [10] K. Ploug, Art games: An introduction, http://www.artificial.dk/articles/artgames intro.htm, 2005 (accessed May 3, 2010)
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LINO GARCA
Scientist Contact: lino.garcia@uem.es Lino Garca has an engineering degree by the Instituto Superior Politcnico Jos A. Echevarra (ISPJAE), a Master in Communication Systems and Networks by Universidad Politcnica de Madrid and a PhD by the same university. He has been teaching at different universities since 1992. He is now Professor at the Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM), at Escuela Superior Politcnica (ESP) and Escuela Superior de Arte y Arquitectura (ESAYA). Currently, he is the leader of a transdisciplinar research group on the intersection between art, technology and society. He is also a published author, musician and composer. Since 2007 he is the director of the Master in Arquitectonical and Environmemtal Acoustics. In 2008 he published his first novel ISLAS, published by @becedario and received a prize in the Jornadas Internacionales de Innovacin Universitaria for his work Metodologa para proyectos transdisciplinares.
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e-conservation magazine is open to submission of articles on a wide range of relevant topics for the cultural heritage sector. Next deadlines for article submission are: for Issue 15, July 2010 submissions due 1st June 2010 for Issue 16, September 2010 submissions due 1st August 2010 Nevertheless, you can always submit your manuscript when it is ready. Between the receival of the manuscript until the final publication may pass up to 3 months according with: - the number of the manuscripts on hold, submitted earlier by other authors - the release date of the upcoming issue - the pre-allocated space in the magazine to each section Please check our publication guidelines for more information.
PILAR MONTERO VILAR

Researcher Pilar Montero Vilar graduated in Fine Arts, Paintings and Conservation specialty, at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) after which she pursued a Master in Aesthetic and Arts Theory at Universidad Autnoma de Madrid (UAM), and a PhD in Fine Arts from UCM. She was teaching Theory and Practice for the Master in Contemporary Fine Arts from UCM (2002-2007) and she is currently a Professor at the Department of Artistic Creation and Theory of Art of ESAYA, UEM, and an Associated Professor of the Paintings Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts, UCM. At the moment she leads a research project entitled Dibujando el Madrid del siglo XXI (Drawing the XXIcentury Madrid) at UEM.
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arp proceeding
Professional Association of Conservator-Restorers of Portugal http://www.arp.org.pt/
SECOND ARP SEMINAR

The Practice of Theory Treatments of Conservation-Restoration
This issue contains the last part of a temporary section dedicated to the publication of the proceedings of the Second ARP Seminar, organised by the Professional Association of Conservator-Restorers of Portugal. The Second ARP Seminar, The Practice of Theory Treatments of Conservation-Restoration was held in the auditorium of the National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA) in Lisbon on May 29-30, 2009. The proceedings were published in Portuguese by the association and the English version of the articles presented at the meeting were published in the last four issues of e-conservation magazine. The articles in this issue are dedicated to the Conservation of Paintings and Photography.
THE CONSERVATION-RESTORATION OF THE CHAROLA PAINTINGS OF THE CONVENT OF CHRIST IN TOMAR

2002-2006
by Frederico Henriques, Ana Bailo and Miguel Garcia
FREDERICO HENRIQUES et al.
Between 2002 and 2006, sixteenth century monumental panel paintings from the Charola of the Convent of Christ in Tomar were submitted to conservation and restoration campaigns. The aim of this paper is to describe the historical context, aspects related to artistic techniques, conservation procedures and the materials used in the treatment of these works of art. The activities were undertaken in two phases: the first, under a project of the Instituto Portugus de Conservao e Restauro (IPCR) and a second, by the initiative of the Instituto Portugus do Patrimnio Arquitectnico (IPPAR).
Introduction In 2002, the Instituto Portugus de Conservao e Restauro (IPCR) created a two-year project, sponsored by the Operational Programme for Culture (POC), for research and conservation of the panel paintings from Charola in Tomar (Figure 1). This initiative was developed by a large team of conservator-restorers, photographers, art historians, physicists, chemists and biologists, who studied the following works: "Baptism of Christ", "Resurrection of Lazarus", "Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem", "Instruments of Martyrdom" and "The Virgin and the Apostles". This program concluded with the intervention on the painting "Baptism of Christ" as well as on a small fragment salvaged from a lost panel "Instruments of Martyrdom". The Resurrection of Lazarus" was not completed due to severe structural problems of its support [1]. Between 2004 and 2006, by the initiative of IPPAR and the Director of the Convent of Christ Dr. Jorge Custdio, the work was continued according to the same conservation criteria. The success of this work made possible to place back the panels into their own original niches. The objective of this text, presented publicly at the 2nd Conference of the Professional Association of Conservator-restorers of Portugal (ARP), "The Practice of Theory" (29 and 30 May 2009), is to disseminate the intervention procedures performed on the support and paint layers, indicating the methodologies and materials used. In the first
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phase of the work, problems in the supports were addressed by panel paintings conservator Miguel Garcia, and his master Pedro Correia, and the chromatic layer was treated by conservators-restorers Frederico Henriques and Snia Pires. In the second phase, the treatment of the support and the chromatic layer was performed by conservator-restorers Frederico Henriques and Ana Bailo. Art Historical Context: the Charola Panels The monumental panels of the Charola are probably the biggest sixteenth century works produced at the time of king D. Manuel I (1469-1521). The
Figure 1. View of Charola, the Convento de Cristo in Tomar.
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THE CONSERVATION OF THE CHAROLA PAINTINGS
Figure 2 (above). Drawing showing the location of the paintings in the deambulatory ( IGESPAR).
Figure 3 (below). Diagram of the painting construction: vertical oak boards and reinforcement cross-bars in orange.
panels are attributed by Portuguese historiography, but with some doubts, to painter Jorge Afonso. The paintings are originally distributed through a deambulatory of twelve niches, representing the Life of Christ. At the present, though, only five complete panels and three fragments exist. The intervention was carried out on two complete paintings and three fragments, in the following sequence: "Resurrection of Lazarus", "Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem", "Baptism of Christ", "The Virgin and the Apostles" and "Instruments of Martyrdom" (Figure 2). The art historical context of the Operational Programme for Culture (POC) in this project was carried out by Dr. Pedro Redol and Dr. Amlia Casanova. Execution Techniques Naked eye and dendrochronological analyses supported the identification of the wood selected for the construction of the supports as oak from the forests of the Baltic region, most likely a sessile oak (Quercus petraea), a native species from that region. Dendrochronological analyses made by Dr. Peter Klein and Dr. Llia Esteves indicate the possible manufacturing of these paintings towards a period between 1488 and 1499. Each panel, measuring around 4 x 2,40 meters, is composed of 10 radial cut oak boards of 4 cm thickness disposed vertically (Figure 3). Their thickness was entirely thinned with adzes, whose marks are
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Figure 4 (below). View of the wood dowels on the painting surface.
still present on the back. The boards are butt-joined (junta viva) and reinforced by square keys doubled pinned across the thick slats (taleiras) (Figures 4, 5, 6), a Flemish technological typology [2]. These are equidistant in 4 levels high. Comparative observation has shown that, the Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem panel follows more accurately this construction pattern. To get boards with the extensions of 4 meters high, the woodworkers used scarf joints, called in Portugal "empalmes". Here, two types of scarf joints were found: in bevel shape (in the Lazarus panel) and in Z shape (in all the other panels) (Figure 7). We concluded that the two different work techniques could in fact indicate the possibility of two independent carpentry workshops involved in this big project. The solid decorative oak black painted frames lock the whole panel in the slot and the entire system panel-frame is locked perfectly inside the niches through metal spikes nailed against the stone bricks. Conservation Analysis After an exhaustive photographic documentation in day light, infrared photography, ultraviolet fluorescence photography, infrared reflectography and X-rays made by Dr. Pedro Sousa and chemical analysis to the constituent materials performed by Dr. Carmo Serrano, the plans of action for the project were finally elaborated (Figure 8). There was a proposal for diagnosis and treatment. Apart from some exceptions, the methodologies were current conservation-restoration techniques that are commonly used in Portugal. The observation of the under-drawing observation was made with naked eye - due to the increasing transparency of the painting caused by the natural aging of the materials and the various abrasions and by infrared reflectography through digital recording. This was done with a Sony Handycam
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Figure 5. View of the wood dowels on the back of the painting Resurrection of Lazarus and the shellac coverage.
Figure 6. Butt-joint reinforcement: floating key locked with a pair of dowels (or pins).
Figure 7. Scarf joints found in the panel boards.

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DCR PC115E PALTM in NightShot mode, with an infrared filter HoyaTM attached to the lenses. This video camera has provided images of excellent quality and high contrast (Figure 9) in relation to traditional systems such as infrared reflectography (vidicon), which was also tested, and in-
frared photography film. In a second phase a Sony Cybershot F-717TM digital camera (Figure 10) was used. Concerning the drawing technique, and in comparison with other examples [3] we can say that it was done by brush with carbon black on white ground layer.
Figure 8 (above). General view during the photographic session ( Miguel Garcia). Figure 9 (below). Registration of the underdrawing by infrared (video). Figure 10 (right). Registration of the underdrawing by digital infrared photography.
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Various methods of examination and analysis were used to determine the paint layer materials: the stratigraphic analysis (Figure 11), micro-chemical analysis aided by micro X-ray fluorescence (EIS FRL - XRF 38TM, equipped with a silicon detector), high resolution liquid chromatography (2795TM Waters) with mass spectrometry (Waters Micromass ZQ-4000) and with simultaneous detection in UV-Vis (996TM Waters). The analysis allowed the identification of the following pigments and dyes: azurite, blue smalt, lead-tin yellow, lead white, animal charcoal, mineral charcoal, brown and yellow ochre, verdigris, vermilion, madder lake and cochineal for the original work; and barium yellow, strontium yellow, Prussian blue, green chromium and chromium resinate for the pigments used in earlier restorations. Laboratory analyses also concluded the presence of gypsum (calcium sulphate semi-hydrate), mixed with animal glue and applied in a single layer, as the preparation layer of the painting. Traces of original varnish were not observed. The varnish used in the restoration interventions was identified as shellac [4]. Radiography, for example, was essential to study the constructive techniques of the wood support
in order to confirm issues concerning the conservation state of the works. It was possible to determine the existence of keys inside the buttjoints, the lines of the boards' scarf joints, the structural integrity of the slats, the location and level of decay of the wood, degraded by fungus and insect activity (Figure 12). Laser scanning was also used in the conservation project of the painting Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem, for the documentation the warp of the boards (Figure 13) [5]. The paintings were subjected to technical study in order to identify what is original [6], after which several well preserved marks were found on the back of the panels. These include carpenter tool marks and marks of inventory made in previous treatments, travels, etc. Of all marks, one inscription on the painting of Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem was selected. A recent study attempted the identification of inscriptions located on a cross-
Figure 11 (below). Example of stratigraphic layer ( IMC). Figure 12 (right). Full size radiography of Resurrection of Lazarus ( IMC).
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Figure 13.Orthophotography made with laser infrared reflectance and topographic mapping ( Superfcie-Geomtica, Lda.).
bar, made with graphite on the back of the panel by the nineteenth-century restorer [7]. The method involved the application of tools of remote sensing: maximum likelihood classification and the elaboration of thematic classes (created polygons were classified as "inscription area", "wood background" and "screw"). This study allowed the reading of the inscription: "Foram acentes em 1868 Julho 23" meaning the reinforcement crossbars were subjected to restoration by July 23rd, 1868 (Figure 14). Another similar exercise was applied to determine a shellac area brushed widely on the back of the Lazarus panel. The results showed the presence of shellac on approximately 41% of the surface (Figure 15).
Figure 14. Inscription obtained by supervised classification. Figure 15. Shellac area detection by supervised classification (in black).
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Subsequent Interventions and Some Historical Notes (16th-21st century) Table 1 shows an explanatory framework in chronological order of some known interventions [8, 9].
Table 1. Chronological order of some known interventions and historical notes.
Year 1533 1573/75 1802 1811
Performed by Reymo dArmas Ferno Rodrigues Ferno Roiz Joo Jorge (Plasterer) General Massena Troops
Intervention " to glue and to fix the small and large altars of the Charola to paint some lacunas and fissures in the panels of the Charola "... Repaint the paintings of the rotunda and instruct the painter Ferno Roiz to refresh the colors ... and all the panels." "Some of these panels have been retouched in 1802." The written documentation indicated by Unio dos Amigos dos Monumentos da Ordem de Cristo (UAMOC) says that Some have been misled and destroyed during the French invasion of Massena. 22 paintings are taken to Lisbon (Royal Academy of Fine Arts). The Charola paintings were assigned to Gro Vasco. Repair ordered by King D. Fernando II to the "Resurrection of Lazarus" in Lisbon. It had arrived destroyed in Lisbon, after the extinction of religious orders." Application of shellac in the "Resurrection of Lazarus" and "Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem" (1849), treatment of the support and retouching. Repairs completed and directed by Antonio Manuel Fonseca (head of the Fine Arts Academy). Return to Tomar, mounting and retouching. Returning to the Academy. Went to Lisbon on the occasion of the Centennial Exposition, the death of King Jos I (1714-1777). There is no record of Antnio Manuel Fonseca being once more the responsible for the restoration. Return to Tomar: Resurrection of Christ; Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem"; Christ and the Centurion; Resurrection of Lazarus. Travel to Lisbon (?). The paintings would have gone to Lisbon to be restored on the occasion of the Portuguese World Exhibition in 1940 (?) "Ascension of Christ, "Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem", Christ and the Centurion and Resurrection of Lazarus" are returned to Tomar IJF Report (observations): "... were all with disjointed planks, yellowed varnish and in some cases, the chromatic film in detachment." (Manuel Reys-Santos and Maria Fernanda Viana) Intervention in the "Ascension of Christ". Should have consisted of reattachment of the paint layer and chromatic reintegration. IJF Report (observation): "Resurrection of Lazarus" has wood decay. Chromatic layer detachment, disjoint boards and dirt (Lusa Santos).
1834 1845
Academy of Fine Arts Academy of Fine Arts
1855 1861 1863
Antnio Manuel Fonseca Antnio Manuel Fonseca Antnio Manuel Fonseca (?)
1867 20th century 1930s (?) 1936
(?) Fernando Mardel
1970
Jos de Figueiredo Institute (IJF) Instituto Jos de Figueiredo (IJF) Jos de Figueiredo Institute (IJF)
1971 1977
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1988
Jos de Figueiredo Institute (IJF) IPCR IPPAR
Detachment of the Panels of the rotunda. Transportation to Lisbon for storage. Coincides with the beginning of the great mural campaign of conservation-restoration. Transportation to the Convent of Christ. Beginning of POC project (Frederico Henriques, Snia Pires and Miguel Garcia). Beginning of the 2nd work phase, started in 2002. Conservationrestoration finished in 2006 (Frederico Henriques and Ana Bailo).
2002 2004
Methodologies of Conservation-Restoration Intervention The methodology of conservation-restoration presented here briefly was performed on the wooden support and chromatic layer. Wooden support Removal of the panels with removal of nonoriginal parts and crossbars; Disinfestations with liquid Permethrin-based biocide (CuprinolTM); Mechanical cleaning of wood joints; Volumetric reconstructions with the use of slim and flat trapezoidal Castanea sp. pieces in areas of cubical rot and some cracks; Union of wood joints with polyvinyl acetate (Figure 16); Replacement of the old crossbars by aluminum bars, which slide over small bridge sections of wooden blocks, connected themselves with a slim
Figures 16. The union of the wood joints ( Miguel Garcia).
flat key of the same metal, creating a lighter structure and reinforcing the panel. The application and development of the system was previously studied [10]. The presented system is similar to the Carit model by Istituto Centrale del Restauro, in Rome, but it uses aluminum bars with rectangular section instead of circular shape section (Figures 17 and 18) [11]. Chromatic layer Application of facing with diluted adhesive animal glue; Testing the solubility of the aged resins and overpaintings. To this end, we used the protocol of cleaning polychromy of Masschelein-Kleiner [12] and the gel system formulated by Richard Wolbers [13, 14]. In all panels, the chemical cleaning of the varnish and overpaintings was made with a solvent gel (Propanol-2) (Figure 19). The laboratory information indicated that the coatings were shellac, thus, not originals.
Figure 17. The new reinforcement system with cross aluminum bars.
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The chosen material for gap-filling was the commercial product ModostucTM, in white color, due to its stability and elasticity properties. The chromatic reintegration was initially made with gouache and watercolor Talens and Winsor & NewtonTM. The gouache was applied in most cases because of their opacity. After the saturation of colours with synthetic resin, the second phase was started with the use of powder pigments admixed in the same resin to match the colour of the gouache used as protective coating and finishing (Figure 20). This technique is very common in Portugal. The application of protective layers was made according to the paintings. Two systems were used: one was the application of dammar resin in contact with the original paint layer followed by a sprayed layer of the copolymer Paraloid B72TM. In these cases the chromatic reintegration was done with acrylic synthetic resin dissolved in diacetone alcohol. The other consisted in using a commercial cyclohexanone resin as a retouching varnish. In such cases the chromatic reintegration was finished with pigment powder in the same resin that was used as a protective varnish. Conclusions The main objective achieved with these projects, conducted and followed up by state institutions was the return of the panel paintings to their original location, the Charola. It is through such initiatives involving multidisciplinary teams that we can acquire and disseminate knowledge about cultural heritage (Figures 21, 22, 23). When we started this project, in 2002, the treatment of the support was frequently made, in Portugal, only by woodworkers. The painting conservator-restorer merely acted on the chromatic layer. This work has proved that the paintings conservatorrestorer can undertake, with the proper knowledge,
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Figure 18. Detail of the new reinforcement system with cross aluminum bars.
the support treatment as well. It is important that this form of understanding the intervention of conservation-restoration in panel paintings becomes a common practice in Portugal, since only a conservator-restorer is aware of general problems of the work. Woodworkers do not interpret the painting as a whole, but try to collaborate in solving the problems of wood support.
Figures 19 and 20. Cleaning of the varnish (below) and retouching with gouache (second below).
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Figure 21. General view of Resurrection of Lazarus after the intervention.

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Figure 22. General view of Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem after intervention.

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Figure 23. General view of Batism of Christ after the intervention.

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This unique collection of panel paintings represented a conservation challenge that was successfully met due to the highest standard of scientific collaboration between all the project participants. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank to the ex-Director of Convento de Cristo Dr. Jorge Custdio, to Pedro Correia, Rui Ferreira, Paulo Henrique, Jlio Calafate and to the other employees of Convento de Cristo; Fernando Antunes of the Polythecnic Institute of Tomar (IPT); Dr. Alexandre Gonalves, Instituto Superior Tcnico (IST); Instituto dos Museus e da Conservao (IMC); and Instituto de Gesto do Patrimnio Arquitectnico e Arqueolgico (IGESPAR). This work has been supported by Fundao para a Cincia e a Tecnologia (FCT) and Programa Operacional Cincia e Inovao 2010 (POCI 2010), cofunded by the Portuguese Government and European Union by FEDER Program. This research was also partially supported by FCT scholarship SFRH /BD/42488/2007. References [1] A. I. Seruya and M. Pereira (dir.), As Tbuas da Charola, IPCR, Lisboa, 2005. [2] H. Verougstraete-Marcq and R.Van Schoute, Cadres et supports dans la peinture flamande aux 15e et 16 sicles, Heure-le-Romain, 1989. [3] D. Bonford (ed.), Art in the making: Underdrawings in Renaissance paintings, National Gallery Publications, London, 1992. [4] L. Masschelein-Keiner, Liants, Vernis et Adhsies Anciens, Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique, Brussels, 1978.
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[5] H. Pires, F. Henriques, P. Marques, "Novas fronteiras no registo e diagnstico de pinturas retabulares. A utilizao dos sistemas de varrimento laser", in Pedra & Cal, n 33, Janeiro, Fevereiro, Maro, 2007, pp. 20-22. [6] A. Bailo and F. Henriques, "Cleaning and retouching on paintings in Portugal: Historical and ethical issues in the last two decades of 20th century", in La Restauracin en el Siglo XXI. Funcin, Esttica e Imagen. Actas do IV Congreso, Grupo Espanol del IIC, Cceres, 2009, pp. 311-318. [7] F. Henriques, A. Gonalves, A. Calvo, A. Bailo "Application of spatial analysis operations for the characterization of wood painting features", in COST Action IE0601- Evaluation of Deterioration and Management of Change. Wood Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage, URL [pdf] (accessed 26th April 2010) [8] Anais da Unio dos Amigos da Ordem do Convento de Cristo (UAMOC), Vol. 1, Tipografia Antnio Gouveia, Tomar, 1941. [9] Anais da Unio dos Amigos da Ordem do Convento de Cristo (UAMOC), Vol. 2, Imprensa Lucas &, Lisboa, 1946. [10] F. Henriques, Conservao e Restauro de Estruturas e Suportes em Madeira na Pintura de Cavalete, Instituto Politcnico de Tomar, Departamento de Arte, Conservao e Restauro, Tomar, 2005, final report of licenciatura degree. [11] S. Bergeon, G. Emile-Mle, C. Huot and O. Ba, "The Restoration of Wooden Painting Supports: Two Hundred Years of History in France", in K. Dardes and A. Rothe (ed.), The Structural Conservation of Panel Paintings,
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The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1995, pp. 264-288. [12] L. Masschelein-Kleiner, Les Solvents, IRPA, Bruxelles, 1981.
ANA BAILO
[13] R.Wolbers, Cleaning Painted Surfaces Aqueous Methods, Archetype Publications, London, 2000. [14] P. Cremonesi, Materiali e Metodi per la Pulitura di Opere Policrome, Phase, Bologna, 1997. *Photos by Frederico Henriques and Ana Bailo Conservator-restorer ana.bailao@gmail.com Ana Bailo graduated in Conservation and Restoration by the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (2005) and has a master in Conservation of Cultural Property, in the area of Painting, from the Portuguese Catholic University (2010), where she is currently a PhD candidate in Conservation of Paintings. Her objective is to study methodologies to enhance the quality of painting retouching. At the present she practices conservation and restoration since 2004 in her own studio.
FREDERICO HENRIQUES
Conservator-restorer
frederico.painting.conservator@gmail.com Frederico Henriques has a Bachelor in Conservation and Restoration by the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Lisbon (1997) and a licenciatura degree in Conservation and Restoration by the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (2005). He is currently a PhD candidate in the Conservation of Paintings at the Portuguese Catholic University in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Section of Systems Support Project, of the Instituto Superior Tcnico. The PhD dissertation is being supervised by professors Ana Calvo and Alexandre Gonalves and is funded by Fundao para a Cincia e Tecnologia.
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MIGUEL GARCIA
Conservator-restorer
miguelalexgarcia@gmail.com Miguel Garcia has a Bachelor Degree in Conservation and Restoration, Furniture Area, by the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Lisbon (2002). Thereafter he has participated in several projects among which a 2002/2004 project in the Conservation of Panel Paintings specialty, through the orientation of IPCR, Lisbon; a brief participation in the projects Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts, and Wisteria Room for 19th and 20th century Galleries, both at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and the Spanish Ceiling Project for the Islamic Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from August 2007 to June 2009.
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THE CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT

The Panoramic View of Constantinople
by lia Roldo and Luis Pavo
This paper describes the conservation of a photographic print, entitled Panoramic View of Constantinople. The work, dating from the second quarter of the nineteenth century, consists of 10 albumen prints of an unknown photographer. The work suffered chemical and physical alterations due to a flood accident at the place it was stored. The treatment allowed to remove the deposits of mud, to clean the prints and cards surface and to restore the physical integrity of the work.
THE PANORAMIC VIEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Introduction In general, the conservation of photographs restricts the intervention to the treatment of the photographic media (glass, paper, plastics) due to the fragility of the photographic emulsions and of the constituent materials. The intervention on photographic emulsions is limited, and often unfeasible, due to water-based treatments that may lead to irreversible changes, endangering the chemical and physical stability of the materials. Although sometimes it may seem a good solution to treat a work without taking unnecessary risks, we are often faced with situations where it is needed to remove parts such as adhesive tape and grip elements, in order to restore the materials integrity and to promote the reading of the overall image. These interventions, however, require that the entire work surface (emulsion and support) is submitted to the treatment in order to avoid the appearance of tide lines and spots that would stand out from the image. Experiments have revealed that it is crucial to perform a dry mechanical cleaning before performing any chemical treatment in order to prevent the penetration of dirt in the emulsion and paper fibres, avoiding to induce chemical and physical alterations to the image. In 2007 we were faced with a new challenge that came from a private collector, himself also a photography conservator, who brought to our studio a photographic work that we designated as "Panoramic View of Constantinople". This work, dating
from the last quarter of the nineteenth century, was identified as being an emulsion on photographic print with albumen and silver salts. The owner recounted the entire history of the work since its acquisition in an antiques fair until the flood accident. Intervention This work consists of 10 photographic prints in albumen glued or mounted on cards. The set of prints and cards had the overall dimensions of 31x342 cm. They were organised in folios and it seemed to have been detached from the interior of a binding. The making of thematic albums with urban or rural landscape panoramic views, especially with monuments views, was very characteristic in the nineteenth century. These albums were made by photographic studios that wanted to commercialise their work, whether from their own initiative or at the request of institutions or private clients. The albumen prints were very popular during that period not only for landscapes but also for portraits. Several inscriptions in graphite and ink, for labelling purposes, were identified on the front and verso of the cards. From these, only one mentioned a date: December 4, 1895 (Figure 1). The owner warned us that the date that was marked could be the date of acquisition by a previous owner and not the date of execution. There was no reference to its authorship.
Figure 1. Detail of the date inscribed on the back of the cards.
Figure 2. Scheme of the common stratigraphy in albumen prints.
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LIA ROLDO AND LUIS PAVO
The name of these prints derives from the material of the photographic emulsion composed by a fragile albumen layer where the silver salts that form the image are suspended [1]. They were usually glued on cards to correct the tendency to curl. The strong yellowing, the image fading and the cracked aspect are characteristic for the albumen prints and result from the material degradation (Maillard reaction) [2] that is sometimes confused with the yellowing of the possible lacquers applied by photographers (Figure 2). In this particular case it was not possible to determine the existence of a varnish layer or its composition, although there was a clearly excessive yellowing at the periphery of the prints. This type of deposits are often described in literature as being run-offs from the application and drying of the finishing layers applied by the photographer [3].
The intervention treatment presented here is very different from the normal conservation interventions on photography that are normally carried out by our studio, to the extent that the specific features of this work, such as its size and condition (Figure 3) forced us to create very specific conditions for their observation and treatment. It was urgent to set real objectives for the works treatment and display. Thus, the objectives of the intervention were defined together with the owner: - To restore the materials physical integrity while respecting and maintaining the original materials; - To apply the 'minimal intervention' principle; - To apply the principle of compatibility and reversibility of the materials and methodologies - To develop a method to preserve and display the work. Diagnostic of the state of conservation The prolonged contact with water from the flood followed by slow drying promoted the formation of mud deposits on the surface and the strong bending of the prints and their respective cards. This accident has had a strong impact on the physical and chemical stability of the work. In general, the prints and cards presented extensive areas with deposits of mud, especially on the lower half of the cards (Figure 4), as well as evi-
Figure 3. General view of the prints before treatment.
Figure 4. General view of the secondary card and the mud deposits.
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dent physical deformation (curved and wavy) (Figures 5 and 6) and strong yellowing (Figure 5). Despite the visible damage caused by prolonged contact with water, structurally the ensemble presented physical strength and there were no visible gaps or detachments of the emulsion. The surface of both the prints and cards presented dirt, foxing, tide lines and small areas with clear signs of use. Before the beginning of the intervention, some operations were carefully performed, such as the graphic and photographic documentation of the original folio organisation, the sequential numbering of the prints and cards, and cleaning tests to determine the most appropriate methodology. All the information gathered in the documentation was relevant for the reorganisation of the prints and conditioning of the work. Intervention The identification of the prints and the diagnostic of the state of conservation were carried out to the entire ensemble. However, given its overall dimensions and the loss of function of some materials, it was necessary to remove the cloth hinges in order to perform the treatment to each print and card. The removal of the cloth hinges and adhesive residues was performed through the
application of a solution of distilled water and ethanol (50/50) and mechanically with a spatula. The extension and strong adherence of the mud deposits to the prints and their cards resulted in changes in the intervention methodology, leading to a lengthier treatment. Given the fragility and extreme sensitivity of the emulsion, it was decided to start the treatment with mechanical cleaning of the surface using scraps of Staedler Mars plastic vinyl eraser and a soft brush (Figure 7) [4]. This cleaning was gentle and effective and enabled a new reading of the image without any creases or traces of gum on the print surface. This action ensured that the emulsion would not be damaged during the support cleaning. The mechanical cleaning of the cards took place in several phases. It started with the removal of the thicker layers of mud with a scalpel and spatula (Figure 8), followed by cleaning with the soft brush and the eraser. The effectiveness of the mechanical cleaning permitted to continue with the chemical cleaning test using a solution of distilled water and ethanol (50/50) (Figure 9). The mechanical and chemical cleaning was successful to remove the mud deposits allowing to
Figure 5. Detail of a bent corner before intervention.
Figure 6. Physical deformations of the print before intervention.
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Figure 7. Detail of cleaning with a soft brush.
Figure 8. Removal of the deposits of mud.

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Figure 9. Detail of cleaning with cotton swab using a solution of distilled water and ethanol (50/50).
Figures 10 and 11. Humidification scheme (left) and scheme of the drying and flattening processes (right).
observe image details and damages that were hidden by the mud. However, the physical deformities that prevented proper handling of the ensemble were still present. The need to flatten each print and respective cards was addressed by a method that consisted in the humidification of the cards in a smooth and controlled way by applying distilled water over a drying paper (Figure 10) followed by drying and flattening (Figure 11). Then, the materials used for flattene-conser vation
ing were exchanged by other dry ones to remove the introduced moisture and an acrylic plaque and weights were applied to correct the deformations during drying and subsequent flattening. Flattening allowed to rejoin the peripheral areas of the prints to the cards from which they had been detached (Figures 12 and 13) and to consolidate the cards that presented lamination on the corners with the application of starch glue for the fixation and consolidation.
75
Figures 12 and 13. Detail of the prints and cards before (left) and after the intervention (right).
Mounting It was chosen to build a recessed mat to ensure the most adequate display with respect to the organisation and dimension of the work. It was necessary to find a framing system that would fit the total dimensions of the ensemble of the prints and secondary cards, mat and protection glass, and that would offer the necessary stability for its display. After consulting several suppliers and assessing the stability of different materials and their performance in showrooms, we chose, in agreement with the client, a mahogany frame and museum grade acrylic glass, with dimensions slightly larger than those of the ensemble for presenting the required strength and quality we sought. We chose to build a mat with recess because it was the most adequate method for mounting the prints glued on the cards and those curved or wavy ones.
Figure 14. Mounting scheme of the ensemble and materials used.
This method consists of three card elements: the first one, designated back card, is bigger than the work and it has the objective to protect the support of the prints and cards; the second card, known as cardboard spacer, has dimensions larger than the prints and openings with the exact dimensions of the card, on which the prints are glued; and finally, a window card that slightly overlaps the cards. The cardboard spacer compensates the thickness of the print and fastens it without resorting to hinges or corners [5]. The mat was built directly on the acrylic glass which had the function of supporting the whole set. Museum Heritage cardboard of 600 microns was glued onto the acrylic glass with double-face adhesive tape 3M 345 in order to create an inert support and to avoid the direct contact between the print and the acrylic glass, fulfilling the function of the back card (Figure 14).
76
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Figure 15. Aspect during the mounting of the ensemble.
Figure 16. Detail of a print mounting.
A box, called cardboard spacer, was built of the same materials and at the exact dimensions of the work. This allowed to centre the print during the mounting and to prevent future accidents and possible abrasion of the prints (Figure 16). The mounting of the prints and their respective cards was performed directly onto the previously described structure (Figures 15 and 16), with Japanese paper and starch paste for the cards joining. After mounting the ensemble (Figure 17), a window card was built of Conservation Heritage Museum card of 1200 microns, fastening indirectly the print and avoiding it to enter in direct contact with the protective glass. The gluing of the "window card" to "spacing card" was made through the application of double-face adhesive tape 3M 345. Finally, the second acrylic glass was placed for the protection of the print (Figure 18). The back of the frame was sealed with adhesive paper tape to prevent the entry of dust, and it was reinforced with metallic elements that promoted a higher resistance and stability during the future display (Figures 19 and 20). Conclusions This intervention was definitely a challenge, given the type of photography, organisation, patholoe-conser vation
Figure 17. General view during the mounting of the prints.
gies and dimension of the work. It was also one of the most interesting projects due to the dialogue with the client who provided us all the information concerning the history and conservation state of the work, and with whom we set the real objectives of the intervention. Although the principles of minimal intervention, reversibility and compatibility of materials and actions were respected, we understand that some
77
Figure 18. Final view of the print mounting.
Figure 19. Application of adhesive paper tape.
doubts may be raised by the use of organic materials which generally are not recommended for the preservation of photography, such as the mahogany frame. This option was based on the need to build a frame with single beams and with dimensions larger than the prints that would promote the stability we sought. Several suppliers were consulted concerning the use of frames made of inert materials but these presented the inconvenient of joining several elements due to the
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Figure 20. Insertion of metallic elements.
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large dimension of the beam, and thus lacking the required strength and stability for the preservation and display of the work. It is also relevant to mention that our methodological options had in consideration the future role of the owner, who will perform frequent inspections to assess the state of conservation of the work as well as of the mounting materials. The fact that the work is on display makes easier to observe and detect possible alterations that may occur with time.
niques and Conservation, Photographic Materials Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, New York, 2005, pp. 78-93 [4] Nancy Reinhold, Hanako Murata, Richard Stenman, Taina Meller, Nora W. Kennedy, Marking Photographs: The Impact of Ink Stamping Practices, Topics in Photographic Preservation, Volume twelve, American Institute for Conservation, 2007, pp. 3-14 [5] Lus Pavo, Conservao de Coleces de Fotografia, Dinalivro, 1997, pp. 296-300
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the owner of the work for his indispensable contribution on the identification and diagnosis processes; to their colleagues at Luis Pavo Lda. for their encouragements; to conservator-restorers Ana Coelho, Catarina Mateus and Lcia Moutinho Alberto for their suggestions, friendship and support, and to photographers Daniel Cristo and Paula Loureno for their support and quality of the documentation record performed.
LIA ROLDO
Conservator-restorer Contact: elia.roldao@gmail.com lia Roldo is a conservator-restorer of photography. She has a degree in Conservation and Restoration and a post-graduation in Chemistry Applied to Cultural Heritage. She currently works at Luis Pavo, Lda.
LUIS PAVO
Bibliography [1] Gordon Baldwin, Looking at Photographs A Guide to Technical Terms, The J. Paul Getty Museum e British Museum Press, 1991, pp. 7-8 [2] James M. Reilly, Care and Identification of 19th-Century Photographic Prints, Kodak Books, 2001, pp. 35-42 [3] Clara von Waldthausen, Coatings on salted paper, albumen, and platinum prints in Coatings on Photographs Materials, Teche-conser vation
Conservator-restorer Contact: lupa@lupa.com.pt Website: http://www.lupa.com.pt Luis Pavo has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon. He then pursued a Master in Fine Arts by the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York (USA) where he specialised in conservation of photography. He currently works as conservatorrestorer of photography at the company he established in 1982, Luis Pavo Lda.
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book revie
CONSERVATION. PRINCIPLES, DILEMMAS AND UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS

Review by Christabel Blackman Editors: Alison Richmond and Alison Bracker Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann Publication Year: 2009 Pages: 268 ISBN 13: 978-0750682015 ISBN 10: 0750682019 Language: English
Precursors come from the realm of the Arts, not the Conservation sphere: conservators, the problem solvers, now look towards defining the challenging prospect of the future in conservation ethics and dilemmas.
Conservation. Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths is edited by Alison Richmond and Alison Bracker and published by Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum. The book is compiled of a selection of 21 essays by a wide variety of contemporary conservation thinkers (27 in all), who represent the various fields that make up the diversified yet all inclusive landscape of conservation. It aims at representing the peculiar cross-disciplinary innateness of conservation and includes philosophers, historians, sociologists, architects, museum staff and conservators. Each voice has the chance to illuminate ideas and issues, criticize or endorse,
reflect or re-examine. Consequentially an enormous amount of questions are posed, ideas challenged, principles redefined, theories disputed, and criticisms launched. According to the editors, in this current period of re-evaluation that we are witnessing, the purpose of this collection of texts is aimed at the opportunity for cross pollination of ideas between these various fields. Indeed an effort has been made to represent all facets of our complex profession. The editors propose that traditional ethics and practice have been disputed and debated over since the evolving interchange of contemporary ideas has re-evaluated the foundations of conservation theories. The tendency in contemporary conservation thinking confirms a philosophical swing towards the belief that conservation stems from social desire and is determined by decisions
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BOOK REVIEW
that are made by the stakeholders, rather than the previously accepted belief that it was an objectivity driven activity. These new ideas not only challenge the principle of objectivity but also other relatively contemporary premises such as authenticity, minimal intervention, or the role of the conservator as caretaker. Contemporary Conservation issues indisputably emerge from the growth and development of the profession. They stem outwards and may define, justify or be a validation for conservator-restorers. They germinate from concerns and uneasiness about previous definitions and are nurtured by problematic uncertainties. Conservators do not tend to be precursors (that terrain is left for the ice-breaking giants of the Arts), they are the nurturers, minders and caretakers, the problem solvers but not usually the prophets. However conservators are the architects of the definition of their profession. In the pages of this book, we are served tempting dishes that have an embracing attitude towards the future, and are capable of taking the all important prospect of a changing focus into account with their challenging views and criticisms. This collection of essays surges forth from a deep knowledge and familiarity with the profession by their authors, through the processes of internalization and contemplation, recognition and rationalization. We are thus presented with dilemmas and current unresolved issues that need to be rethought to enable them to be essentially relevant. A lot of the authors included in this collection are familiar names to us as their voices have emerged to create a representative discourse in the conservation world. They discuss, and we the passive reader-conservators head nod. Others perhaps may be classified as working conservators, who tend to be less published, simply because they are too busy working, but that does not imply that they do not have equally interesting ideas and views
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to propose or expose. There is a wide variety of nationalities represented which also helps to colour a more extensive palette. Jonathan Ashley-Smith writes about the development of the profession, saying that the conservators attitude and behaviour has been determined and varies according to chronology and context. The consideration of options available to a conservator comes from the practical opportunities and constraints of materials and by the way that they are resolved. However, he says that the public approval factor plays an important role in influencing what the conservator may actually feel is desirable for the object. He goes on to point out that the determination to define the profession within the realms of codes of ethics, rather than through competence and knowledge, may misguide us into thinking that there is one single set of ethics that is unanimously applicable. The understanding of diversity is what makes these collective common grounds more variable and not so rigidly valid. Ashley-Smiths article, like other authors, chooses to outline the historical emergence of conservation issues. Indeed his summaries and conclusions are similar to those of the Canadian Miriam Clavir, voices which choose to dance a similar choreography on the same tightrope. She points out that the profession is guided by these codes of ethics, wherein the conservator juggles his competences, values and know-how, which can lead to conflict, because of the predetermined expectations of these ethical conventions. Clavir points out that alternative ways of conservation thinking come out of the perusal and reassessment of conservation codes and rules. This topic is also taken up by the Australian and New Zealand authors Marcelle Scott and Catherine Smith. In his essay Practical Ethics, Jonathan Kemp strikes at the rationale of definitions saying that
81
BOOK REVIEW
failure is guaranteed if we use a single code of ethics as a measuring stick. The intention of these codes is to produce consensual behavior, not rules. He concludes by proposing that a solution to many dilemmas, suggesting that any conservation action that falls into the interim space between ethics and activity, between material authenticity and the validity of the conservators experience thus applied, can be justified and annotated in the work reports and records. Both Jonathan Re and Nicolas Stanley-Price offer innovative ideas in their specific spheres. The former suggests that by the faithful reproduction of objects, we may maintain their symbolic meaning, while the latter suggests that the reconstruction of buildings in architectural conservation is a response to a public necessity, they both make interesting practical proposals with their consequential justifications on the theoretical side. Chris Caple in his piece The Aims of Conservation offers a quick stepped recapitulating global view of conservation and ends up by questioning how social values affect conservation and whether this will determine future purpose of the activity. Jukka Jokilehto chooses to examine the development of conservation principles, underling the themes of authenticity and integrity and the shift of importance from the tangible to the intangible values of heritage. He also tends to seek answers in an historical overview of conservation. Along with other authors, the same question is posed by approaching contemporary themes through retrospective reflection. The classic Gauguin phrasing of Where do we come from? and thus Who are we? and Where are we going? is appropriate. Salvador Muoz Vias offers us some interesting reflections in his Minimal Intervention Revisited essay. In fact he splits fine hairs in the analysis of the actual meaning of minimal and intervention,
82
concluding that the absolute extreme of this dictum would be to not do anything. Any intervention always modifies the object in some way and therefore changes the meaning, often obliging to make a choice to sacrifice some possible meanings for a preferred meaning. But this is a necessary spinoff of the conservation process. He writes Conservators, or conservation decision-makers, need to find a happy medium between preserving each and every feature of the object and its free and complete alteration to the contemporary observers tastes or needs. He suggests that there may be a more appropriate terminology for the concept of minimal intervention, such as balanced meaningloss. There is an absorbing essay by Elizabeth Pye which underlies an important observation, that the agreement about main beliefs and principles that unify the profession takes time to evolve, and that means that currently established ethical codes may not necessarily be up to date with current thinking practice. She writes about the lenience towards subjectivity, denying the neutrality of conservation practice, saying that it actually contributes to the unfolding life of an object by instigating material change or by giving preference to a particular meaning. She goes on to say that the significance of an object is not necessarily determined by its physical makeup, but in the meaning invested in it by the possibly transient opinions and interests of a given audience. Thus the meaning is changeable. This idea is reiterated by other authors such as Isabelle Brajer, who illustrates her ideas with examples of interventions on Danish Mural paintings. She questions the concept of authenticity, which is another notion which is currently being redefined by the collective emerging voices of contemporary conservation subjects. In this book, we may find articles which include case studies to illustrate their discourses which
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BOOK REVIEW
make for an important anchoring effect for so much theoretical adventuring. Theories that have emerged through the necessity of the apparent incongruity between the shoulds and what we all know are the cold realities of our profession. There are articles with great interest for all branches of the profession, some that are specific, ones to read and re-read, some which will become favourites or others that are highly quotable. All areas are touched upon, from ethnological to architectural, from contemporary installations to the role of museums of living cultures. There are some essays that inspire to further thoughts or readings, others that clear up doubts, and some that perhaps make us rethink old ideas or endorse existing ones. It is definitely a recommendable book for all those who have interest in contemporary conservation thinking and a must suggestion for a gift box, competent library, students complementary reading material or just for the vocational conservator. (Are there any conservators who are not vocational?) Along a similar vein, and with the intention of creating involvement by public debate, a two-day symposium was organized at the Geological Society in Burlington House in London in September 2009, to coincide with the launching of the book. There was a varied group of 20 speakers, including some of the authors, as the theme of the symposium was a continuation of the books content, thus offering the possibility to expand discussion about the new emerging era of conservation ethics. The idea was to bring together representatives of the different strands of profession, for cross-linking and interchange, to put forth new ideas and to challenge existing principles. It was open to the general public and indeed its diffusion has been facilitated through internet. The talks are now available on the following link, and thus can be listened to simultaneously whilst performing one of those time consuming menial tasks in the workshop that we often find ourselves doing as teche-conser vation
nicians or alternatively whilst partaking in some other available multitasking moment of our domestic agenda. It is highly recommendable and enriching and absolutely complementary to the publication, as it does not repeat the same material. For the curious minded conservator who is interested in challenging thinking and stirring up the silted ideas that may have inadvertedly crept and settled into the residue of their thoughts, these are interesting literary and audio interludes into contemporary issues in conservation. There is a veritable tapas session of ideas available for conservators with an appetite to lift up their heads from the suction table, microscope, palette or scalpel and fling out that peripheral vision to look beyond their quotidian confines and for those who would like to harness new ideas and bring them home for daily use.
CHRISTABEL BLACKMAN
Conservator-restorer Email: christabel1@terra.es Christabel Blackman is a freelance conservatorrestorer of easel paintings specialized in Gothic and Renaissance Mediterranean panels and 17th to 19th century canvases. She holds a Masters Degree in Conservation and Restoration (Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain) and a Diploma in canvas and panel easel paintings (Istituto per lArte ed il Restauro, Italy). She has written several publications including monographies, catalogue chapters, congress papers, newspaper and magazine articles. She was born in Australia but has lived and worked in Valencia, Spain for the last twenty years.
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Digital Infrared Photography by Frederico Henriques, underdrawing detail of the painting "Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem", Charola of the Convent of Christ in Tomar.
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e-conservation

the online magazine No. 14, May 2010

So, why do we do it?

"... nothing, not even neglect, lasts forever."

NEWS & VIEWS

Building Bridges in the Third Place

VI Symposium of Art and Science Conservation and Restoration of Decorative Arts

The Challenges of Digital Art Preservation

The Conservation-Restoration of the Charola Paintings of the Convent of Christ in Tomar

Conservation. Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths

news & view

BUILDING BRIDGES IN THE THIRD PLACE

Poster presentation: Sculpture, polychromy and architectural decoration (Session 6).

VI SYMPOSIUM OF ART AND SCIENCE Conservation and Restoration of Decorative Arts

General view of the audience during the presentation of Daniela Coelho.

Art Conservation Research

GRAPHIC AND WEB DESIGN SERVICES FOR CONSERVATION

Current Practices in Fine Art Reproduction

Seeing is Believeing: New Technologies for Cultural Heritage

European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry (EXRS )

36th Annual CAC Conference

EVA London 2010

2nd Annual ARCA Conference in the Study of Art Crime

Chemistry for Cultural Heritage (ChemCH)

In Situ Technical Imaging for Art and Archaeology

Are you reading this?

WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART:

WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART

WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART

WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART

WIKIPEDIA SAVES PUBLIC ART

JENNIFER GEIGEL MIKULAY

AREAS OF PUBLISHING Conservation Treatment

CONSERVATION-RESTORATION INTERVENTIONS IN EXTREME CASES

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

Figures 1 and 2. Extreme degradation of the support due to biological attack.

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

Figure 5. Aspect of an icon before conservation.

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

IMPROVING THE RESISTANCE OF WOOD DAMAGED BY BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

CORNELIA and DINU SVESCU

THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL ART PRESERVATION

LINO GARCA AND PILAR MONTERO VILAR

1 As for the application of scientific practices to the conser-

THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL ART PRESERVATION

Figure 1. Categorisation of Digital Art.

3 Bruce Wands draws attention to the participation of the

LINO GARCA AND PILAR MONTERO VILAR

4 According to Alsina [6] "today software art is based on the

THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL ART PRESERVATION

6 They manipulate data in real time, responding to the be-

8 "Appropriation is something so normal that it is almost

LINO GARCA AND PILAR MONTERO VILAR

9 The sound is a one-dimension signal; the image is bi-di-