Part 1: Professional and ethical conservation and restoration by David-Frank Bugeja, a qualified Maltese conservator-restorer of paintings and polychrome sculpture. This part also includes simple guidelines on how to care for paintings and polychrome sculptures. Contact the author for additional, more in-depth information and for specific advice.
conservation and
restoration
Paintings and polychrome sculptures are valuable and irreplaceable. Deterioration and damage cannot be reversed! This is why it is so important for us to take care of our treasures. Ideally we should start taking care of our artifacts before we note signs of damage and deterioration - such as cracks and flaking paint. The simplest and yet most effective measures include: keeping paintings and sculptures evenly distanced from walls by at least 2cm; keeping artworks inside internal rooms; and keeping them away from apertures [read more]. It is equally important to inspect all sides of artifacts on a regular basis. If you suspect that there is a problem or if in doubt contact a qualified conservator-restorer who can assess the condition of artifacts and provide specific, in-depth advice. Apart from providing recommendations on how to care for artworks, conservators-restorers can also treat deteriorated and damaged artworks to stabilise their condition and regain their aesthetic qualities [read more]. Such treatments are done with extreme care and patience, based on scientific research and following modern conservation ethics. Read more on the anatomy of paintings, download publications, or follow an ongoing conservation-restoration project.Figure 1.1 Removing old varnish from a polychrome sculpture.
Part 2: An exhibition of paintings by the author.
the art of painting
Painting is a prehistoric invention. It is a tool that replicates the physical or the spiritual. In other words, painting can imitate what we see, feel or think about. The art of painting is the ability to observe, memorise and manipulate what we see in terms of shapes and colours. There are those who are extremely good at imitating what they see - just like a photographic camera. Such imitators just want to test and improve their painting skills, maybe even to satisfy their need of impressing the general public with their photographic techniques. After all, everyone can appreciate with great ease a photographic painting of a portrait, landscape or seascape. But why should we still be bothered to replicate a view on a paper or canvas when the exact process can be done with the use of a digital photographic camera, possibly combined with the use of an electronic photographic editing software, to achieve the desired result? In fact, history of art demonstrates that the art of painting took a very different direction immediately following the invention of the photographic camera. Painting became more sophisticated and more challenging, whereby the painter competed with the camera and tried to paint what the photographic camera cannot portray. Yes, the painter tried to depict the non-visible, the abstract, the spiritual. And this was only successful if the painter worked while being truly haunted by a concept or overwhelmed by an emotion. It is truly the biggest challenge to produce a painting that can transmit particular thoughts or emotions (perceived by viewers of the painting). However, the continuous effort to depict inner thoughts and feelings led the artist to be more individualistic and not so much compelled to follow one, commonly-defined style or formula. Not convinced about the latter? Just visit the contemporary museums and galleries, or simply browse the internet for images of contemporary paintings. You will see that there is no common style, no common goal, no common definition of contemporary art. Some perceive this negatively, as if we are living in an art crisis, where artists are living in a very doubtful atmosphere. Lots of such uncertainty has stemmed by the views of the general public which has been scorning modern and contemporary art for ages, arguing that art became elitist by being attractive mainly to the selective, art-knowledgeable audience. Contemporary art gave rise to the unfortunate necessity for information panels displayed along paintings in art galleries in order to explain the artwork. Psychologists wrote more books and papers on the meaning of art. The artists themselves became also more prompted to explain their work, often in front of video cameras or interviewees (mainly journalists), to document their intention for future reference, even after their death. But, shouldn't a painting stand on its own for others to evaluate? Is it really necessary to have contemporary paintings explained by their artists in order to understand and appreciate them? Is it also necessary to justify the validity of contemporary paintings with text and words?
And, yes, let us not forget that painting is a prehistoric invention which somehow managed to survive thousands of years and continues to find its way in contemporary art exhibition spaces. Yet, whilst contemporary artists continue dipping their brush in paint, many sustain that painting is an obsolete practice, often tagging painters as traditional and claiming that contemporary artists should opt for more innovative means of expressing themselves in this digital era. But, ultimately, the art of painting is just another tool which should continue to be considered when other media fail in interpreting and satisfying one's own statements.
View the author's exhibition of paintings and follow the author's art blog. Read more on the anatomy of paintings, ask for further information and advice or commission a new painting.
figure 2.1 (above painting) titled JAN II, measuring 50x50cm, oil painting on canvas.
about artandconservation.net
www.artandconservation.net is intended to introduce visitors to two different (yet related) practices: the art of painting and the conservation-restoration of paintings and polychrome sculpture.
- Part 1 (the conservation and restoration section) aims at defining the role of the conservator-restorer. The section also provides simple guidelines on how to care for paintings and polychrome sculpture.
- Part 2 (the art of painting section) exhibits paintings executed by the author of this site and invites the visitor to visit the author's art blog which mainly deals about the discovery of contemporary art.
The author of this site is David Frank Bugeja. He was born and still resides in Malta. Driven by a passion for polychrome art, he studied the art of painting and later the conservation and restoration of paintings and polychrome sculpture. He obtained his Bachelor (Honors) in conservation in 2003 from the University of Malta. Later he furthered his studies and obtained his Master in Applied Conservation from the University of Malta in 2007. In 2003 he was employed by the Malta Centre for Restoration and later by Heritage Malta - where he practices conservation-restoration treatments; supervises and lectures conservation-restoration students. Apart from researching conservation and restoration treatment for paintings and polychrome sculpture, David also researches on various measures that can preserve artifacts in situ - particularly by improving their environment with showcases and other forms of enclosures commonly referred to as microclimate frames that are constructed with stable, non-polluting materials that are designed to slow the artifacts' rate of deterioration.
deskrizzjoni bil-malti
websajt fuq restawr u konservazzjoni ta' pittura u statwi polikromi. il-website toffri informazzjoni fuq kif wiehed ghandu jiehu hsieb il-pitturi u statwi. din is-sajt tinkludi ukoll esebizzjoni ta' pitturi. l-awtur ta' din il-websajt huwa david frank bugeja, konservatur u restawratur kwalifikat malti. david specjalizza fil-konservazzjoni u restawr ta' pitturi u statwi polikromi. huwa jghallem fil-kors universitarju tal-konservazzjoni u restawr gewwa l-institut ta' konservazzjoni u restawr f'bighi, heritage malta.
artandconservation.net by david frank bugeja is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Malta License.
first site version: 2003
site location: malta - europe