Art galleries like Crawford Art Gallery don’t just display beautiful artworks; they are stewards of history, culture, and human expression.
As a freelance art conservator, my role is all about preserving that heritage and employing a range of specialised techniques to ensure each work of art can be appreciated now and well into the future.
There’s a growing interest from the public in the field of art conservation, and it’s a topic I’m always excited to talk about. At Crawford Art Gallery, during Heritage Week, I held a public talk to help people better understand why this work is so important.
Conservation is about more than just repairing damaged art. It’s about preserving a piece of history, a cultural artefact that reflects the times and society in which it was created. It’s important to include the public to increase understanding and appreciation for art and the steps being taken to preserve it. Public interest and knowledge play a vital role in protecting cultural heritage.
Of course, Crawford Art Gallery itself is also undergoing a big change so it can be appreciated into the future. The gallery recently closed for a redevelopment project that means moving the entire collection of over 3,500 works into secure storage while the building works happen. The public might not be able to access the gallery at the moment, but we are as busy as ever behind the scenes in advance of the start of the construction work in spring 2025.
In the past, Crawford Art Gallery has not had the resources for its own in-house conservation lab, but I am very excited to be working with our registrar and director on a mobile conservation lab, so that I can work on the artworks that need protecting while they are in storage during the gallery’s closure for redevelopment.
But over the past eight months, my priority has been proactive approaches to protecting the collection before it is moved into storage.
Art conservation is a delicate balance between scientific precision and artistic sensitivity.
Art conservators adhere to the minimal intervention principle—we aim to disturb the original work as little as possible. When intervention is necessary, we use compatible materials and reversible methods as much as possible. This ensures that future conservators can undo our work if needed, allowing the artwork to be preserved without permanently altering its original form.
If you visited Crawford Art Gallery before it closed for redevelopment on September 22, you might have seen me working on a special conservation treatment called ‘facing’.
This process temporarily stabilises a painting’s surface, mainly when issues like flaking or loose paint occur. Conservators also use it when they need to work on the back of a painting for other treatments.
Recently, I’ve faced two pieces: The Revolutionary, painted in 1902 by renowned Irish WWI painter William Orpen, and Portrait of Robert Percy Ffrench of Monivea, by 19th century Cork-born artist Henry J Thaddeus.
Facing involves carefully adhering conservation-grade tissue paper to the painting’s surface using reversible natural or synthetic adhesives. This forms a temporary protective layer over fragile areas of the artwork.
While it might seem like a simple task, it’s quite complex. Every material conservators use, no matter how carefully selected, interacts with the layers of the painting.
There are countless factors to consider when facing a painting: Is the artwork modern or contemporary? What materials constitute the paint layers? Have there been any previous treatments? And which solvents will interact the least with the original paint?
Even though we choose materials for their compatibility and reversibility, they can still affect the artwork, especially if environmental conditions aren’t stable. That’s why this work requires constant attention to detail to ensure the long-term preservation of the artworks.
If you notice some of these signs of damage on your artwork, treating it yourself can be risky. It’s best to leave this delicate task to trained professionals with years of experience. Even with the best intentions, attempting it yourself could lead to irreversible damage.
So, once some of the artworks are temporarily secured, the next big job is getting them ready to be transported. Packing them for transportation involves many experts from the gallery, such as the art handlers, the museum registrar, the production manager, and me as the conservator.
Shipping is the final stage in the process, but it’s just as important as everything that comes before. From selecting the right transportation company to closely monitoring the artwork’s journey, every detail is managed precisely.
Transporting art is more than simply moving an object from one place to another. It’s about understanding the risks involved—whether physical or environmental—and taking every precaution to minimise them.
Throughout all of this, my focus remains the same: to maintain the integrity of the artwork. When the gallery reopens, I want these artworks to be displayed at their best, ready to be admired and appreciated by the public.
While my work often happens behind the scenes, it’s deeply connected to the experience that visitors have. There’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the steps we take today ensure that art will continue to inspire future generations.
