Paintings conservation in Australia today: analysis of an industry

Abstract

Paintings conservation has changed considerably over the past 30 years following the introduction of the Australian Institute for Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) and a training facility at the University of Canberra in 1978. Since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of qualified local conservators, who are spread across both private and public sectors. Museums and galleries are now more likely to have their own conservation staff, or failing that, a private consultant nearby. This has in turn impacted on collections and collection management, improved attitudes towards the profession, and recognised the need for paintings conservators in Australian public institutions. To date, there has been no thorough research undertaken into the size and distribution of paintings conservation in Australia. The aim of this research, therefore, is to assess the current state of the industry; what and where the supply of conservation services is compared with actual demand. Information was gathered from secondary sources as well as from direct primary research, in the form of interviews and questionnaires, which were sent to both practicing paintings conservators and public art collections. This article presents research findings in relation to the demographics, educational, employment, facilities, attitudes and levels of research and professional development of the current paintings conservation sector. The data generated by the surveys provides useful statistical information on the industry, which should be of interest to all participating conservators, collecting institutions and the industry in general. The results in graphical form (Figs 1–4 and Appendix 1) and the questionnaires used (Appendix 2) are presented to assist future researchers wishing to refer to or retest the data.