A Thing of Beauty should be a joy forever

ART IS our link to the past, and key to the future. Subjects varying from the most mundane as everyday occurrences, scenes from daily life to cerebral thoughts, feelings and religion have been expressed through art. A reflection on the past and a look into the future is what art produces. The Taj Mahal is yellowing and deteriorating at a faster pace than the restorers can work on it and frantic efforts are on to contain any further damage. Ravaged by time and nature, many artefacts have been forever lost to us. Step in to the delicate tradition of art restoration.

Art restoration covers the entire gamut of restoration and conservation of paintings, sculptures, murals, manuscripts, textiles and other art objects. The aim is to restore damaged works of art to their original condition as faithfully as possible. Till the 1950s, art conservation was the domain of a few expert restorers whose work ambit did not go beyond removing old stains, retouching etc. Awareness that a more scientific approach was needed has come about only recently.

Museology is the science of running a museum-looking after the collection rather than dealing with its administration or business operations. The emphasis of a museum may be almost on anything, but usually one of the goals of a museum is to educate people about the area of interest it represents. For example a museum like Kalekar's at Pune, exhibits items of great historical value. The inventory of a museum collection needs to have a focus and a concept around which the collection is built. The museum may possess items on loan from individuals or companies but more often than not retains its guardianship of the majority of items in its care. Museology encompasses all these and more.

Nature of work

A restorer's work is to undo the damage and deterioration wrought by time, neglect, environment and bad storage of artefacts. Art materials can fade, break down, change colour or crack. Restoration involves repairing the damage, filling in the gaps in the canvas and the paint layer to maintain the visual continuity of the work. A conservator needs to be technically skilled and have substantial experience and sensibility to be able to judge the original appearance of a piece of art. He is not to tamper or alter or add anything to the work, just give the work a new lease of life. Not to embellish it to make it look like the original. The work involves a great deal of complex chemical treatment and hours of painstaking effort. Restorers also provide consultation on storage and display.

A museum curator has to look at details such as what are the items worth keeping, where will they be kept, how and where can they be obtained, should they be insured, what are the physical needs of the items - do termites eat them, do they melt or mold or discolour etc.

Individuals could specialise in the restoration of oil paintings, sculptures, metal objects, monuments, frescos and even fabrics. The restoration procedure is similar for all but specialised knowledge of the material being treated is essential.

Qualifications & eligibility

Candidates need to be graduates in any of the sciences or in fine arts or art history. Artists who join these courses do so to understand the process of deterioration so as to protect their work. Professional training is mandatory as untrained persons can ruin a precious work of art. Hands-on experience under experienced and veteran restorers is even more important. The institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology at the National Museum in Delhi has a faculty for conservation science, which offers full-time post graduation course in art restoration, conservation and museology. A Ph.D program is for 5 years duration.

The course structure includes lessons in organic and inorganic chemistry, basic aspects of painting and the development of art techniques over the years. It is mandatory for each student to treat two paintings under supervision.

A student can specialise in oils, water colours or frescos. Museology program is designed to provide generalised training, knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a professional career in museum work. It combines traditional academic training in both academic subjects and museology practices and the practical experience that is necessary to begin a successful career in the same. A postgraduate program is directed towards the training of a broad range of museology professionals interested in curation and management of collections in art, anthropology, botony, geology and history as well as in museum administration. A PG degree equips one well for a wide range of careers in museology.

Many universities abroad offer comprehensive certificate programmes as well as post graduate degrees.

Career prospects

Trained and qualified art restorers can find employment with the three National Museum Centres at Delhi, Calcutta and Lucknow. These museums look after their own work as well as those of the other state museums. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), centre at New Delhi also offers restoration facilities to private collectors and institutions. Experienced conservators can branch out on their own and though maintaining a studio can be cost prohibitive, the work definitely pays well.

Soft skills

A keen and observant eye for detail, a thorough knowledge and respect for the artist and his art, finely tuned visual sensibility, excellent technical skills, and a steady and patient hand are some of the prerequisites. Though a limited enterprise, the demand for trained manpower is being acutely felt now. This augers well for all those who want to make this exacting profession their own.

PADMA RAMESH

padma.hyd@careercommunity.co.in