Conservation science (cultural heritage)

With respect to cultural heritage, conservation science is the interdisciplinary study of conservation of art, architecture, technical art history and other cultural works through the use of scientific inquiry. General areas of research include the technology and structure of artistic and historic works; the materials and techniques from which cultural, artist and historic objects are made.

Conservation scientists use scientific methods and principles to support work in the fields of art conservation and architectural conservation, and care of cultural objects in museums and other collections. Cultural conservation science work includes identifying the materials that make up a structure or piece of art including their chemical makeup, identifying and cataloging changes that cause deterioration and developing methods to mitigate deterioration of cultural heritage.^[1]

In many countries, including the United Kingdom and Italy, conservation science is considered part of the broader field called 'Heritage Science' which also encompasses scientific aspects less directly related to cultural heritage conservation, as well its management and interpretation.

There are four broad categories of conservation science with respect to cultural heritage: 1) understanding the materials and techniques used by artists, 2) thorough examination and analysis, 3) study of the causes of deterioration, and 4) improving materials and techniques. Conservation science includes aspects of chemistry, physics and biology as well as engineering.^[2]

References

↑ "Defining the Conservator: Essential Competencies" (PDF). American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).
↑ Ward, Phillip (1986). The Nature of Conservation: A Race Against Time. Marina del Rey, CA: Getty Conservation Institute. ISBN 0-941103-00-5.

External links

Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage
Collection care and management	Collecting Collection (artwork) Collections care Collection catalog Collections maintenance Collections management (museum) Collection Management Policy Collections Management System Cultural heritage management Cultural resources management Deaccessioning (museum) Digital repository audit method based on risk assessment Display case Documentation of cultural property Emergency response (museum) Exhibition of cultural heritage objects Found in collection Inherent vice Inventory (museum) Museum integrated pest management Preservation metadata Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies Preservation of meaning Preservation survey Provenance Repatriation Restoration (cultural heritage) Storage of cultural heritage objects
Roles and expertise	Art handler Collection manager Conservator-restorer Conservation scientist Conservation technician Curator Exhibition designer Mount maker Objects conservator Paintings conservator Photograph conservator Preservationist Registrar (museum) Textile conservator
Area specialities	Antiques restoration Archaeological science Archaeology Bioarchaeology Building restoration Conservation science Digital photograph restoration Digital preservation Database preservation Film preservation Frame conservation Heritage science Historic preservation Media preservation Object conservation Optical media preservation Painting conservation Preservation (library and archival science) Restoration Sustainable preservation Web archiving
Techniques	Aging (artwork) Anastylosis Arrested decay Architecture Cradling (paintings) Detachment of wall paintings Desmet method Fabric restoration Historic paint analysis Imaging of cultural heritage Inpainting Kintsugi Leafcasting Lining of paintings Mass deacidification Mold control and prevention in libraries Mold prevention Overpainting Paper splitting Radiography of cultural objects Reconstruction (architecture) Textile stabilization Transfer of panel paintings UVC-based preservation
Topics	Archaeological sites Ancient Greek pottery Automobiles Bone, horn, and antler objects Books, manuscripts, documents and ephemera Ceramic objects Clocks Copper-based objects Feathers Film Flags and banners Frescos Fur objects Glass objects Herbaria Historic gardens Human remains Illuminated manuscripts Insect specimens Iron and steel objects Ivory objects Judaica Lacquerware Leather objects Lighthouses Metals Musical instruments Neon objects New media art Outdoor artworks Outdoor bronze objects Outdoor murals Paintings Painting frames Panel paintings Papyrus Parchment Performance art Photographs Photographic plates Plastic objects Pompeian frescoes Shipwreck artifacts Silver objects South Asian household shrines Stained glass Taxidermy Textiles Tibetan thangkas Time-based media art Totem poles Vehicles Vinyl discs Woodblock prints Wooden artifacts Wooden furniture
Notable projects	Conservation issues of Pompeii and Herculaneum Conservation-restoration of Ecce Homo by Elías García Martínez Conservation-restoration of The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins Conservation-restoration of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper Conservation-restoration of the Shroud of Turin Conservation-restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty Conservation-restoration of the H.L. Hunley Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.