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

art conservation. This information should be documented while getting
the artist intent on record.
When To Document Artist Intent
“The complex history of the work after it leaves the control of the
artist speaks to the importance of later understandings.” (Buskirk, 2005,
p.56)
After the work leaves the artist studio, there is no real incentive for
the artist to remain invested in the work. However, staff at some
institutions may assume the artist has a responsibility to help the museum
if the museum makes a request at a later date. If museum professionals
plan on calling on an artist only when problems surface, they risk
oversight of a great opportunity to actively employ preventative
conservation. If one interviews the artist as soon as possible after the
piece is acquired, however, the artist is more likely to be in a position to
speak clearly and fully about their art-making process for that particular
piece, and the information will be more valuable in the future should
conservation issues arise.
The gathering of data that could influence the meaning of the work
– with an emphasis on the use of material and working method – is
thus one of the first activities to be undertaken in the conservation
of modern art. The curator/conservator determines the meaning.
(Hummelen, 2005, p.167)
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