A Story

Recently, an artist approached to my colleague for the conservation of his painting. Though, he gets to know about my colleague through a framer who was providing the service for both. Next day this art conservator visited to artist place and saw the actual condition of the painting. During the examination she has noticed fungus on the painting and suggested fumigation to get rid of spores. Further, conservator added that for this practice she will take minimum two weeks for the fumigation. As we know that fumigation is a difficult job and we cannot leave the object in fumigation chamber for a longer duration. It needs extra precaution and checking of the object regularly. Any way it was the fact for the fumigation. Let’s switch to artist . After listening all those things, the artist asked to framer, “Is she right?” Really, is the fumigation will take this much time?
How the painful situation it was! How a framer can decide the things for fumigation and other conservation practices? Here, I would not blame to artist and of course he was very true. Problem is somewhere else and it happened due to lack of awareness. Everybody denied his or her responsibility by saying that this field is new in India and took time for favorable condition. Officially, this field is 78 year old in India because 1st conservation lab has been established in 1930 in Madras. Seventy eight year is quite enough time and during this time period we must had something. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything for the field on which we can rely. So, do something for the field and discuss such type of issue to others also.

A truth

National Museum Institute provides degree course in conservation. Every year 15 students get selection for this course. After getting the degree a student works as an art conservator and provide his/her service to preserve our heritage sites and art objects. Everybody admires it by saying that “wow! you are doing a very good job”. Of course this is a unique work in itself; we are preserving our heritage for coming generation. But, we don’t have any future in this profession. There is no any surety for carrier and job. Because of this many students do not complete their course. Every student lives in uncertainty during the M.A. course and always looking answer for the questions like what is the scope? What will do after finishing the course? Where we get the job? etc.
Hence, we have very few options for the job and this fear and uncertainty is natural. UGC has considered this course as Museology and conservation. It is providing the opportunity as JRF and Lectureship, But this is insufficient. Government bodies like ASI did not recognize our degree. ASI recruits the civil engineer for the post of conservator. I don’t have any problem that civil engineer is being recruited as a conservator. But the advertisement must have a clause for us also. How ridiculous is this? A person who has been specially trained for the conservation and all wouldn’t be able to get a government job. Is ministry of culture not aware about this? Or nobody has taken the initiative for such kind of things.

This is the serious issue and needs a solution. We must have to think about the present scenario. Definitely, we get something fruitful, if our thinking will be positive in right direction.

KAHTE HAIN SAHI DISHA ME UTHAYA GAYA KADAM HUMESHA MANJIL KI TARAF HOTA HAI

So, start discussions on such type of issue.

Care and Conservation

Everything is perishable in the nature. Our heritage sites and other art objects couldn't remain untouched with this fact. We have a series of heritage sites and art objects e.g. Monuments, Paintings, Paper works, Ceramic, Metal and textile etc. The art object kept in two groups i.e. inorganic and organic. This division is based on material and their nature. Organic based objects are more prone to decay as inorganic objects. We have plenty of art material which is organic in nature and susceptible to decay.

Decay of art objects is depend upon the nature of the material and climatic conditions. As we know everyhting has a solution and decay of art obect has also a solution in the form of care and conservation of art objects. Though, this field is totally new in India and still strugling for identity.

Conservation of the art objects is not only practice but it includes proper understanding of the objects their material, technique and what type of treatment they can afford? This is the science and totally based on the fundamental of science. That’s why each and every process of conservation is time taking and should be execute with better skilled approach and god understanding of the object. If you are giving your art treasure for the conservation you should aware that you are giving your object to a right and trained proffessional. Because, conservation has its own ethics and each concervator is liable to follow the ethics. This is an important part of training.

So, if your art treasure is geting damaged by environmental factor, vandalsim and all. you should not worry about that, try to contact a proffessional art coservator.

stabilization of historic plaster