Frequently Asked Questions
What is conservation?
Conservation is a profession dedicated to studying, documenting, and treating artifacts, collections and sites in order to preserve them for future generations. Some of the goals of conservation include:
- Documenting an object at its present state
- Managing or slowing its change or degradation
- Maintaining the integrity, authenticity,and legibility of an object
- Protecting and revealing evidence of the past
- Sometimes making aesthetic decisions about how an object “should” look; this is usually agreed upon in discussions with the client, institution or other stakeholders
- Making cultural heritage accessible, legible, and available for use by descendant communities, scholars, and the general public
- Collaborating with curators, archaeologists, descendant communities, and various other stakeholders to understand and interpret objects and sites
What is the difference between conservation and restoration?
In many countries, no distinction exists between the terms "conservation" and "restoration", and conservators are referred to as conservator-restorers. However, in some cases, restoration is considered a more extensive and interventive approach than conservation. This more extensive approach may include additional cleaning, repairing or changing of an artifact with the intention of making it appear whole or undamaged, or to make it usable again. This is sometimes done with the attempt to fool the eye.
How are conservators trained?
Most conservators in the United States have completed graduate degrees in art conservation and held internships and fellowships with major museum institutions. Graduate work in conservation is generally a three or four year training program with required courses in the materials, techniques and physical characteristics of art works; conservation materials and treatments appropriate for art works; scientific and technical analysis; and hands-on practical experience treating art in various media. See Becoming a Conservator from the American Institute for Conservation website for more information.
What do you mean by "objects"?
"Objects" are three-dimensional works that can be made from a variety of inorganic materials including stone, ceramic, metal, or plaster as well as organic materials such as wood, plant fibers, leather, and other manipulated natural materials. Plastics or other engineered materials are also often found in modern or contemporary works of art. Objects are often composites of different kinds of materials and may involve paint layers, coatings, or other decorative elements in a variety of media. On occasion, Sanchita has also worked on human remains such as mummies in museum collections or newly excavated bodies on archaeological sites. Sanchita does not conserve paintings, works of art on paper, or textiles, but can recommend conservators specializing in these fields.
Most of the treatment examples on your site show museum-owned objects or archaeological objects. I have a family heirloom or object of great personal value that I want conserved--not a museum object. Would you still be interested in working on it?
Certainly. The Studio's clients are a combination of museum institutions and individuals. In fact, some of the most challenging and satisfying projects have come from individual collectors. See for example the plaster sculpture of Winston Churchill on the Treatment Examples page. The examples highlighted on this website are meant to provide an introduction to some of the more interesting and involved projects that I have completed recently.