Call for papers--Authenticity and replication

Call for Papers
"'The Real Thing?': The Value of Authenticity and Replication for
Investigation and Conservation:

The University of Glasgow
Research Network for Textile Conservation, Dress and Textile History
    and Technical Art History.
December 6-7, 2012

We invite contributions for a conference at the University of
Glasgow on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 December 2012 which will explore
issues of authenticity with reference to textile conservation, dress
and textile history and technical art history. The Research Network
is funded by The Getty Foundation.  Authenticity depends on context.
Art works may be autographs, or signed by the master but executed by
his assistants; they may be workshop products or copies, serials, or
concepts. They tell stories of alteration and intervention, loss and
damage; how much of the artist's original intent remains? Historic
objects also have biographies of use, alteration and re-use before
coming to rest in museum collections. The concept of authenticity is
one of the core factors driving decision making in conservation and
restoration, as reflected in the professional ethical codes. These
judgments are becoming more complex because of rapidly changing
conservation methodologies, both technical and virtual, and new
approaches towards interpretation, display and use of collections by
the cultural heritage sector, while advances in conservation science
provide us with increasing amounts of information. The tangible and
intangible qualities and the conceptual aspects of contemporary and
non-western artefacts in particular, have made the role of curators,
conservators, art historians, and conservation scientists even more
complex and pressing.

A recent Research Network meeting threw up some interesting
questions: How much is our notion of authenticity a modern, Western
approach? How can we safeguard 'the real thing' and continue to
provide access to objects even though they may be problematic and
resource-intensive? Can we rediscover authenticity through
replication and re-enactment? Can authenticity be reconstructed?
What do fakes tell us about attitudes to 'the real thing'? How far
should we go in undoing historical additions and interventions? How
do we preserve context and function? The virtual revolution: is
virtual conservation successful?; does digitization attract visitors
to the museum, or does it replace museum visiting?

We welcome abstracts for papers on these and related topics. We also
welcome abstracts for posters.  It is planned that some papers will
be published online or in hard copy.

Please send abstracts as email attachments of no more than 250 words
to Tahitia McCabe: Tahitia.McCabe<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk by Friday 17
February 2012.

Please indicate whether your abstract is for a paper or a poster.

Please include the names, addresses and email addresses of all
authors, and indicate the author for correspondence.

If you have a query or would like to discuss your ideas please
contact: Frances Lennard <frances.lennard<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk> or Erma
Hermens <erma.hermens<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk>

We look forward to welcoming you to the conference. Booking details
will be available in early 2012. The call for papers can also be
found, along with more information about the Research Network, at

    <URL:http://tinyurl.com/3t3typr>

Frances Lennard
Senior Lecturer, Textile Conservation
Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History School of
    Culture and Creative Arts University of Glasgow
8 University Gardens
Glasgow
United Kingdom G12 8QH
+44 141 330 4097
+44 141 330 7607
Fax: +44 141 330 3513


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:32
                  Distributed: Monday, January 9, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-25-32-003
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