Is she a scientist, an artist, or a member of CSI? In a fascinating talk Eunjin Kim questions the role and skills of the art conservator. She will make you aware of the new problems of the art world, such as how you can conserve artwork that is meant to disappear. Eunjin Kim works at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, saving the country's most precious artworks for the future. She now wonders about the future of her trade and what new skills future art conservators will need to save artworks from generation to generation.
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It was very hot and humid summer when I was traveling alone as a backpacker in Rome.
One day I was so excited to see the masterpiece of Michelangelo
but when I stepped into the Sistine Chapel the ceiling fresco was covered with scaffolding for
I was so disappointed and curious what was going on and tried to steal a glance at the scene behind
that was the very first moment I came across the world of art conservation.
I was always told no touch no photographs in front of painting but people were touching
and he was scrubbing the surface of fresco painting. Do I like a scientist or do I like an artist
or do I like a detective of CSI looking for crucial evidence or just like a cleaner at the museum?
Well I'm a paintings conservator at the museum. I do take care of works of art from dusting
to touching and sometimes scrubbing. I am responsible for the safety and immortality
of works of art at the museum. Just like a patient, painting needs to be diagnosed first.
Various methods are introduced to investigate the current condition of painting
to identify the cause of damage and see the structure underneath.
Well we easily perceive works of art on the wall as two-dimensional objects.
However the paintings are usually consists of several layers of preparation to maintain
a promise plane. UV radiation can provide valuable information about the surface of painting
such as existence of specific pigments or resins with different fluorescent colors.
X-rays can pass through the layers and reveal hidden paintings underneath.
With the help of instrumental analysis like gas chromatography,
sam edx, which you may not expect to find at the art museum, we can find out what they were made of
and what the artist originally wanted to express. Works of art may be considered as
material evidence of past containing clues about everything. However a few fundamental
rules exist in the analysis of works of art. First, it must be a non-destructive way
because it is not it is difficult to justify having scientific numbers at the sacrifice of
works of art. Then the result must be interpreted in a context of art history
or other related fields, otherwise it signifies nothing. For the real treatment of works of art,
we need to find out the right medicine to cure. Sometimes we need to perform an operation
to remove any stains or to clean the soiled surface. A solvent, a proper solvent must be used
and to attach or to consolidate weak addition, a stable but effective adhesive must be chosen
to reconstruct any missing part of works.
Easily reversible materials and techniques without any harm to the original works of art must be used.
Also, consulting art historians and curators, sometimes artist himself about reconstruction
can be very important. It is because without any without without general consensus about
reconstruction, it can be my paintings after my retouching. After treatment, it is also very
important to prevent recurrence through environmental control, careful handling,
and regular maintenance. Today conservators meet new challenges. Under the name of contemporary
art, artists in the 21st century employ unusual, untraditional, unconventional materials such as
live insects, chocolates, and sands. What can I do for the ephemeral art which is born to disappear,
born to die? What should I do for the works of art depending upon the rapidly evolving media
technologies? Many works with CRT monitors and videotapes from 1970s and 80s won't be running
anymore in the near future without any plan of action. Does it mean I need to study again
electronics or biology to be a real conservator in the future? Hope not. Well, to be a good conservator
they must have three H's, head, hands, and heart. In dealing with works of art, understanding their
chemical and physical properties is very important. Without practical skills with very clumsy hands,
you cannot be a good conservator. Most of all, ultimate love for art must be in your heart.
Art is long and life is short. It can be realized with the natural
convergence of art and science in the name of art conservation. Thank you.
