08/24/2010
This article, "Putting heart into paper restoration" was not only misleading, but verges on supporting fraudulent behavior. Restoration and Conservation of works of art on paper are two very different disciplines and the general public probably does not know the difference between the two. If you check with the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) (www.conservation-us.org), you will see that the code of ethics defines what acceptable practice is.
How is conservation different from restoration?
Sometimes confusion arises about the terms "restoration" and "conservation." Restoration is actually a type of conservation treatment. It specifically refers to an attempt to bring cultural property closer to its original appearance. The other type of conservation treatment is stabilization, which refers to an attempt to maintain the integrity of cultural property and to only minimize deterioration.
What is a conservator?
Conservators are professionals who work to physically save our cultural property from the ravages of time, the threats of pollution, and the devastation brought by natural disasters. A conservator may be trained at a conservation graduate training program or by lengthy apprenticeship with experienced senior colleagues. Working in museums, other cultural institutions, research labs, and in private practice, conservators combine unique skills gained through ongoing study and advanced training in art history, science, studio art, and related disciplines to care for and preserve our tangible history.
Conservation and Conservators do not engage in treatment procedures that reinforce or forge signatures. Also, repainting faded colors is an irreversible process on works of art on paper, which again is strictly forbidden in the AIC code of ethics. If the author were to consult a licensed art appraiser on the procedures Mr. Perez is quoted as using, you will find a devaluation of the artwork after the processes described; something that the owners were probably not bargaining for.
I can only assume the Mr. Perez is not aware of the professional ethics of conservation (he is not a member of the AIC or WAAC), for he is using techniques and materials which should not be applied to valuable works of art such as Warhols and Lichtensteins.
The words "art restorer" provoke visions of dormer-windowed studios, of flaking oil paintings in Rococo frames, of landscapes emerging from beneath layers of ancient grime. It's startling, then, to
