ArtWatch International
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that one of the issues that I advocate here is conservative restoration. I worry that during restoration, art gets harmed in irrevocable ways and may lose out on its physical appearance and even original intent. It is always good to know that there are others who believe in your cause, and for me, the organization is ArtWatch International.
ArtWatch International is a non-profit group that seeks to “promote an open exchange of ideas and information on the full range of practices in the field of conservation, restoration and international stewardship of important cultural artifacts.” They believe that before anything happens to any individual artwork, there should be a full disclosure of the facts to the science and art communities, the scholars, any interested parties, and the public at large. This exchange of ideas may then the prevent the disasters that have been steadily befalling many of our most prized treasures.
Professor James Beck, the founder of ArtWatch International, went to trial over over-cleaned works. His student (and later, my own art history professor), Denise Budd, is the only person that ever even mentioned that such issues exist (that I’ve known). If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have known any of this.
So check out their site, think about your art or think about your favorite paintings that are undergoing these kind of decisions without your knowledge. If your art manages to survive you hundreds of years into the future with minimal maintenance, would you want some museum official to “clean” it in a way that it becomes unrecognizable as your work?