School of Historical and Philosophical Studies

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The potential role of citizen conservation in re-shaping approaches to murals in an urban context

Kyi, C ; Tse, N ; Khazam, S (ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2016)

Public visual spaces, populated by a blend of community murals, unauthorised street art, and historic painted mercantile signs, are often the mark of an urban environment that is both progressive and eclectic. Changes in the aesthetic and cultural value of these urban mural forms have led to an increase in the appreciation and, in some instances, promotion of their artistic merit and cultural significance as examples of public art. However, examining the significance of these works, with a view to implementing a conservation approach is problematic. This is due to a number of practical and theoretical considerations that are primarily a result of the ephemeral existence of urban murals outside conventional exhibition spaces, and issues associated with their often fragmented ownership and uncertain authorship. Consequently, larger thinking on the interpretation, conservation assessment, and advocacy for the conservation of urban murals are required. Key to defining and implementing such strategies is contextualising the public visual spaces that these murals occupy and, as part of this, the local and wider communities’ perception of these murals as culturally significant objects as well as fostering awareness and understanding of appropriate measures aimed at their conservation. This paper examines the role of citizen science, or crowd-sourcing, of local community members in establishing a conservation dialogue and generating conservation- relevant data on urban murals. It looks specifically at a project involving a collection of in situ historic painted mercantile signs — also known as ghost signs — in the City of Port Phillip, Melbourne, Australia. The project fostered the establishment of an informed and open dialogue between conservation specialists and participants from the local community on the significance of local ghost signs whilst transferring knowledge on conservation processes and assessment methods. Working directly with community members, a programme was designed in which conservation and community knowledge of these urban art forms, could be collected and exchanged across digital platforms. This enabled researchers to examine how citizen science can be utilised as a research tool as well as a means to advocate for the conservation of collections of urban murals. It created the opportunity to consider the role of non-specialists and shared authorities in the collection and collation of conservation- relevant data and how information generated from what we call citizen conservation projects, can inform the way in which conservators evaluate and prioritize the conservation of urban cultural heritage. The data gathered and interpreted proved to be the most effective means of ‘conserving’ these often ephemeral forms of cultural material.
Interviewing artists exhibited in The Field (1968): The use of acrylic paints in a seminal exhibition of Australian colour field painting

Rajkowski, R ; Tse, NA ; Rozentals, B (ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2016-01-01)

Artist's interviews are a timely and important historical record of the technical significance of Australian colour field painting. The findings correlate and corroborate ongoing conservation research into the works featured in The Field, providing evidence to support the take-up and distribution of early acrylic paints in Australia. Overall, the artists' responses demonstrate a range of working methods and choice of materials. Col Jordan and Alun Leach-Jones were found to be fairly consistent with their choice of acrylic brands and technique, while other artists, like Ron Robertson-Swann, were more flexible and experimental in their approach. PVAC (polyvinyl acetate) paints were used along with, or in place of, acrylic emulsion paints for practical and economic reasons, revealing the challenges involved with investigating acrylic paints which emerged alongside a variety of other synthetic paints. These interviews reinforce the value of conservation enquiry to the field of art history and exhibition development.
Artists’ interviews and their use in conservation: reflections on issues and practices

Cotte, S ; TSE, N ; Inglis, A (Routledge - Taylor & Francis, 2016-12-21)

Artists’ interviews are widely used in the conservation of contemporary art. Best practice is detailed in recent publications, conferences and workshops, however, there is little information on how to analyse the data collected, and the issues related to the dissemination and future access to the content. This article examines various techniques of analysis appropriated from qualitative research in the social sciences, and relates them to the intended uses of interviews in conservation. Drawing on a case study that involved interaction with an artist over several years, including interviews and informal conversations, this article argues that a conservators’ specific skills set has the capacity to interpret the findings and to understand the creative processes. It also highlights the importance of reflexivity and the public circulation of this interpretation, which is essential for the development of a sustainable practice of artists’ interviews in conservation.
Editorial: AICCM Bulletin 2018 Vol 39 Issue 1

Tse, N (Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2018-01-02)
Editorial: AICCM Bulletin 2019 Vol 40 Issue 2

Tse, N (Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2019-07-03)
Editorial

Tse, N ; Rajkowski, R (Informa UK Limited, 2015-06-01)
The AICCM Bulletin, Volume 37.1 Editorial

Tse, N (Informa UK Limited, 2016-01-02)
Editorial

Tse, N (Informa UK Limited, 2017-01-02)
APTCCARN: Working towards a network of shared material conservation actions

Tse, N (International Institute for Asian Studies, 2018)
Decision making, materiality and digitisation: Esteban Villanueva’s 'Basi Revolt Paintings of Ilocos'

Tse, N ; Soriano, M ; Labrador, AM ; Balarbar, RA (Routledge - Taylor & Francis, 2018)

Esteban Villanueva’s fourteen 1821 paintings, the Basi Revolt Paintings of Ilocos, are valued for their representation of the conflict between the Spanish colonial administration and Filipino Ilocano insurgents. As pictorial documents representing the emergence of secular artistic practice in the Philippines, they possess significant social and historical narratives of national independence and the Ilocano’s strength of character. Damage, previous restorations and the effects of tropical climates have not been kind to the Basi Revolt paintings and their visual reading is complex. This paper reports on the technical and materials analysis of the paintings, documentation, digitisation and image analysis as a conservation model to broaden perspectives on knowledge acquisition in conservation. Conservation decision making in the Philippines is an additional focus of the paper, with an examination of localised values, and the trajectory and life of the paintings to inform conservation actions and creative processes.

School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications

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