Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 10 : Record of press coverage, March 1982 - May 1984

elicate ·business for Caroline By SUSAN HOCKING 1oration is to restore 10 completion, whereas con• servation is 10 restore 10 a level that is unnotice• able. "I feel, for myself, that conservation is more ethical," Caroline said. "I don't think I have the right to draw over someone else's drawing." Considering the sort of work Caroline docs, surely a museum or an art gallery would be a more fitting workplace? "I came to Queensland in 1979 to work at the Queensland Art Gallery," Caroline explained. "I met my husband, an Australian, who ended up as an engineer at the Awoonga Darr.. So, here I am too. 0 Caroline studied her trade at the Cambcrwell School of Fine Art, in London, learning the tech• niquei; of conservi~g and restoring parchments, ,. ·,, • ·' ... manuscripts. drawings, paintings, lithographs and watercolors. "I had always been interested in art, but never had what it took to be an artist myself," she said. "My father inspired me to move into this field . He visited an art conservation laboratory on a trip 10 Ireland and came home raving about it. I investigated the courses offering in London and became as enthused as he hoped I would." Caroline said she loved her years of study, but on completing the course decided to seek work outside London. "Although the traditional employment arenas, such as museums, art galleries and large private collections, abound in Britain, I decided I wanted to work abroad," Caroline said. "I took the job at the Queensland Art Gallery and loveJ it. We were never short of work." Marriage, and a move to an area not renowned for ill art collections, did not deter her from pur• suing her craft. "I alwars relt that my work was adaptable, and so far 1t has been," she said. "I come down to Brisbane about once a month, pick up the art and any materials I need, and take them home to be· gin work." Own company Caroline started her own company, Conserva• tion Art Consultants Pty Ltd, nearly two years ago. First stage in her work process is a condition report, a detailed description of the damage to the art piece and the proposed work to be under• taken. Caroline charges $12.SO an hour for her highly specialised skill and has no shortage of cli• ents. "The aim of the company is to provide infor– mation on the condition of works of art and how best to store and disr,lay them, especially in the Queensland climate, 'she said. The clients, according to Caroline, do not all own art which is valuable in monetary terms. Many have paintings or drawings which may ap– pear worthless to the art connoisseurs but arc sentimentally priceless to their owners. Caroline treats them all with the utmost care. Some art pieces arc in worse shape than oth• ers. "I had one which had been glued onto a ma• sonitc board," Caroline grimaced. "It took me two painstaking weeks just to case the paper off the board." Other common problems she must confront ' and rectify arc large tears, worm tunnels in the paper, silverfish holes, sticky-tape marks stain• mg the edges, years of built up dust and mould. The work is exacting, requiring a perfectionist's eye for detail and a lot of pre-testing before ccr• tain chemicals arc applied to the paper. Caroline remounts works with I00 percent rag museum board which contains no acid and is therefore no threat to the art. She often uses a glass-look-alike plasticwhich has an ultra-violet light inhibitor. Caroline said her clients were invariably de• lightcd'wiih the results. "They arc also usually amazed at the finished product," she modestly agreed. And it is amazing. To send Caroline off with a tattered, mouldy watcrcolor to the Awoonga High Dam site and have it returned a whole, clean, attractive work of art must seem like mag– ic 10 many of her clients. Magic it isn't, but a highly specialised, h_ard-camcd skill.