The conservation and restoration of artworks is a complicated task which requires concentration, patience and intense attention to detail among other artistic qualities. So learnt Weekend Post reporter Zamandulo Malonde at a walkabout with art restorers at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum this week
Currently on show at the museum is the Here Today, Here Tomorrow exhibition, a collection of conserved and restored easel paintings, paper, stone and ceramic artworks.
The museum’s conservator Anthony Keogh, who specialises in easel painting restoration, ceramics restorer Lisa Walker and paper restorer Suzanne Louw held the first of a series of walkabouts on Wednesday for the exhibition which opened on May 31.
The insightful walkabout saw the three educate museum visitors on the difference between conservation and restoration, steps taken during both processes and the ethics and myths surrounding it, especially where cleaning is concerned.
Keogh, who curated the exhibition and has been with the museum since 1981, restores damaged or old paintings following the necessary, ethical process including cleaning, lining, retouching and so forth.
During this long process, Keogh is ethically obligated not to change or edit the original state of the painting, but to simply restore it to what it was before the damage occurred, he said.
To adhere to ethical obligations and return a piece to its original state, Keogh carefully documents the work and progress.
“My very first step is to document the artwork, that is to do photographic documentation, a report on the condition of the artwork and what treatment I’m going to do before beginning the process of restoration,” he said.
Once the work has been assessed, the next most important step – and also the worst, according to Keogh – is cleaning the piece.
Keogh warned against cleaning techniques recommended by non-professionals for cleaning paintings and artworks in general.
“There’s no universal cleaner that is safe for all artworks and restorers won’t discuss what solvents they use because it’s not just about what you use, but rather the application process – how far to go or not to go,” he said.
The same sentiments about cleaning were echoed by ceramic restorer Walker.
While she warned against the careless use of cleaning solvents in order to avoid permanent damage, she emphasised the importance of the cleaning step of the restoration process.
“It can take a long time but the cleaning is the most important thing. But, when it comes to bleaching, the worst thing you can do is use household bleach to clean your ceramics because it’s full of insoluble salts that can break down your ceramics,” she said.
Paper restorer Louw restores artworks that have been damaged by mechanical, chemical and climatic conditions. In a similar restoration process, she removes mould, foxing, mat burn and fixes tears.
When restoring damaged pieces, Louw follows similar steps to Walker and Keogh, starting by removing the backing, washing to remove dirt, de-acidifying and bleaching.
“Sometimes people repair their own artwork and use improper pressure-sensitive tapes which are harmful to their artworks,” she said.
Because mistakes are inevitable, restorers use reversible material to make it possible for them to start from scratch should need be.
While paper, ceramics and paintings differ, they undergo a vastly similar restoration process, guided and guarded by one ethical umbrella.
In-depth notes of the restoration and conservation processes are included in the exhibition, which runs until July 31.
Walker, Louw and Keogh will hold a second walkabout at 1pm on June 25.