careers
Ever wondered how history came upon us, and how museums the world over are filled with works that date centuries back and yet look appealing? Thats the magic of art restoration, finds REENA JHAVERI
As you w
alk across in museum in the country, there is one thing that is common. The works of art bring to you the history of the times that have gone by.
Works of art are treasures, and these sometimes have been found in difficult conditions, which requires them to be restored to the best condition possible. Since most of the artworks cannot stand the test of time, art restoration becomes one of the solutions to preserve them for the future.
For instance, some works of artists like Da Vinci and Michelangelo have undergone the process of painting restoration that makes them available for viewing to this generation. Yes, artworks might be a century old already, but with good art preservation, they appear like new and serve their purpose in the cultural heritage. The importance of art preservation is widely accepted.
Historically, we have focused more on conserving monuments
but since the last four decades, paintings and decorative arts have been getting more attention. As India experiences an art boom, art conservators have come into their own, prompting the Ministry of Culture to give a grant of $ 400,000 to the independently- run Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya or CSMVS Museum to set up CSMVS Museum Art Conservation Centre.
The work Art restoration encompasses the process of revival of a work of a bringing it as close as possible t its original condition. This work is not the work of a lay man, it needs a professional adept with the knowledge and skill to do so. This process requires cleaning, repairing and restoration of a damaged work of art.
Art restoration entails not only removing flaking paint, retouching and painting over some parts but it is a specialised field which requires some degree of scientific knowledge especially of chemistry and primarily of painting and art history.
If one is working with other media like sculpture, manuscripts, photographs or textiles, then one needs to have specialised knowledge in those fields. Art restoration is a time consuming task. One needs to work slowly and go over minute details.
Conservation can sometimes be difficult to execute, but according to art historians, it should be the preferred alternative before restoration is considered, to maintain the integrity of a work of art and its cultural heritage.
Course cues Professional courses are generally short- term, about two years or so, as opposed to the long- term Bachelor of Fine Arts ( BFA), Master of Fine Arts ( MFA) courses which can go up to five years. Not too many institutes in India offer art restoration courses. Generally, art restorers have a BFA or an MFA degree.
” Given the demand for restoration, theres a need for more institutions and standardisation. And more understanding of what conservation entails,” says Professor Nalini Thakur, who teaches architectural conservation at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. ” Conservation of building sites has to be viewed holistically taking it as a living heritage.
And only then even methodologies will change,” she says. Thakur adds, ” We havenalt39t been able to take the heritage that we are privy to and really bring it within a sustainable good quality protection and management.” Career prospects This is a developing field in our country. There are many who do it in an individual capacity, and have been unsung heroes of culture for long. Now, with the advance of interest in works of art, there are more art galleries and museums interested in restoration and conservation.
With the art industry in India booming and Indian art making a name for itself worldwide, the art industry is being looked upon seriously in India. More art galleries are coming up and with it art restorers and art conservers are coming into demand.
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