From Sharks to Sugar: Addressing Conservation Issues of ... - incca

art conservator.
Ideally, in-person communication between museums and artists
would alleviate some miscommunication and prevent assumptions about
artwork on the part of the museum. By advocating a system of better
communication and possibly collaboration between museums and artists,
my topic addresses some important needs. It supports museums’
responsibilities to care for works in their collections to the fullest extent
possible. Museums have an ethical responsibility to learn as much as
possible about the works they care for. It serves artists to ensure that their
intentions are honored by museums. There is untapped potential for
collaboration between the museum and the artist to further comprehension
of the artwork. Yet, there is a lack of awareness in some museums of the
importance of gathering information from living artists.
As museums increasingly collect contemporary art, much of it made
with nontraditional ephemeral materials, museum staff must find
appropriate methods of preventative conservation to care for this work, as
it has unique needs. When the artists are alive and available to
communicate, museums should interview the artists as part of a
preservation plan as soon as possible upon acquisition of the work, even
earlier. However, some museum staff lack skills needed for effective
communication with artists, and staff often do not have preservation plans
5