Workshop on photographic conservation

Damaged and Deteriorated
    Photographic Print Materials: Compensation for Loss
A Workshop Funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Hosted by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
March 22-26, 2004

Utilizing the Photographs Collection and Paper Conservation
facilities of the J. Paul Getty Museum (JPGM), this five-day course
will investigate compensation techniques employed in the
conservation of damaged and deteriorated historic and contemporary
photographic prints. Demonstrations of techniques will be carried
out by experienced conservators and innovators in the field.
Intensive laboratory sessions will be dedicated to hands-on practice
and experimentation with a variety of compensation challenges;
treatment solutions will be explored over the course of the
workshop. Topics to be addressed will include color and light
theory, inpainting media and techniques, inserting methods for
losses in photographic paper, historic coating procedures, isolating
layers, work space design, ethics, artist's intent, and exhibition
aesthetics. Compensation issues with a wide variety of photographic
processes from the 19th and 20th centuries will be examined during
the week.

A large part of the workshop will be taught by James Bernstein,
Conservator in Private Practice in San Francisco, and Debra Evans,
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, who are widely recognized as
skilled teachers in the area of compensation. Other instructors
include Debbie Hess Norris of the University of Delaware/Winterthur
Conservation Program, Nora Kennedy of The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, Bob Aitchison of Aitchison and Watters, Inc. in Los Angeles,
Marc Harnly of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Jim Druzik from the
Getty Conservation Institute. Lectures and seminars will complement
the workshop. Gordon Baldwin and Tim Wride, Photographs Curators at
the JPGM and the Los Angeles County Museum, respectively, will
present their curatorial observations and opinions on compensation
for photographs.  Tours of the other JPGM conservation studios,
including Paintings and Decorative Arts/Sculpture will emphasize
compensation practices in those disciplines and interdisciplinary
approaches to compensation techniques. One ninety-minute session
will consist of case studies and experiences presented and discussed
by the course participants. On the last day of the workshop the
class will have the opportunity to visit the JPGM galleries,
including two large exhibitions drawn entirely from the Museum
collections: Photographers of Genius at the Getty and Recent
Acquisitions in Photography.

Eligibility:  The workshop is open to specialists in photograph
conservation who have had limited access to equivalent training.
Enrollment is very limited.

Application Procedure:  Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae
and a statement of purpose, no more than 1000 words, clearly
describing why participation in this workshop is important to their
educational and professional development. One sealed letter of
recommendation from a person knowledgeable about the applicant's
qualifications and educational needs should be included in the
application packet. Applicants will be evaluated according to their
educational needs, statements of purpose, letter of recommendation,
previous workshops attended, access to educational opportunities,
and possibilities for dissemination of workshop information. If
financial aid is necessary for attending the course, a separate
statement should be included. Financial aid to defray costs will be
awarded on the basis of need and may include basic travel expenses
and a per diem allowance.

Application materials should be submitted to:

    Mellon Collaborative Courses
    c/o Art Conservation Department
    303 Old College, University of Delaware
    Newark DE 19716

by December 10, 2003.  Decisions will be mailed by January 10,
2004.  Any questions can be directed to

    Marc Harnly
    310-440-6583
    Mharnly [at] getty__edu

    Debbie Hess Norris
    302-831-3696
    dhnorris [at] udel__edu

    Nora Kennedy
    212-650-2168
    nora.kennedy [at] metmuseum__org


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:42
                 Distributed: Friday, November 14, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-17-42-020
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