Abstract
Modern principles of conservation prioritise preservation of significance and authenticity. For wall paintings, this means stabilising them in situ in their present condition and focusing on measures that slow deterioration. Understanding the condition and deterioration of wall paintings is both complex and challenging; their conservation treatment is equally difficult. Since resources are always limited, and the needs of our painted cultural heritage are limitless, science-based decision making maximises conservation efforts. However, these approaches are undermined in practice by short-term and reactive agendas, the distribution of conservation across diverse sectors and personnel, and the growth of a conservation industry that is dominated by other considerations. Consequently, many current models of practice are failing to address key concerns. A radical rethinking of priorities is urgently required. Proactive models of conservation that broaden concepts of context and reemphasise its importance offer ways to address our problems before they reach crisis levels.
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Acknowledgements
I am entirely indebted to Professor Sharon Cather, who sadly passed away in June 2019, as the inspiration for this paper. Its contents are also greatly informed by discussions with Lori Wong, Project Specialist, the Getty Conservation Institute. Lastly, I thank my wife and partner conservator, Lisa Shekede, for her valuable insights and support.
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Rickerby, S. (2021). Rethinking Our Models of Wall Painting Conservation: Are We Doing the Right Thing?. In: Aoki, S., et al. Conservation and Painting Techniques of Wall Paintings on the Ancient Silk Road. Cultural Heritage Science. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4161-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4161-6_1
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