School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications
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ItemPredicting the Past: A critical examination of current art history and conservation curricula.(AiA, 2016)This document is a critical analysis of the current status of art education in art history and art conservation as it relates to the concept of authenticity (as defined as “authorship”). It has been constructed by students and professionals from different specialities and continents. The headline problems, raised by current art history students, have been observed in several art history and conservation programmes by the Work Group, who suggest potential solutions. These are targeted at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableBuilding evidence for use in criminal cases – standard practice and methodologies: a case study in Australia(AiA, 2014-05-07)In criminal and civil investigations relating to art fraud, the question of how evidence is gathered is as relevant as the question of what is gathered. The sensitive nature of the evidence also means that often the sharing of information between professionals, such as curators, gallerists and art historians is minimal and restricted. Sometimes art historical accounts provided as evidence can be difficult to verify against properly referenced data, while the materials analysis data can be open to various interpretations. In addition, assertions of art fraud have been met with action for libel. As a result, the lack of an integrated analytical and investigative methodology can hamper investigation, making conviction difficult. As an interdisciplinary study conservation is seen to provide ‘objective’ scientific data that can explicate and verify propositions about the source or history of an artwork. Drawing on work undertaken at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (CCMC) this paper discusses the development of standards, methodologies and guidelines for data collection to strengthen prosecution procedures and meet the evidentiary requirements of the courts, and explains why conservation provides the critical and objective procedures useful in bringing forward a successful prosecution for art fraud.
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ItemAssessment of the effect of nitric oxide-based treatments on biofilm formation: A comparison with biocides used in paint formulations and the treatment of cultural heritage(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 2013-10-22)Biocides are chemical substances used in the treatment of damaging biological growth. They are commonly added as ‘preservatives’ to paint formulations to prevent biofouling. They are also applied in the control of organisms responsible for the biodecay of cultural material. The demand for sustainable, low-toxic alternatives to conventional biocide use, requires a more sophisticated approach to biocidal systems (Denyer & Stewart 1998). We have investigated how the anti-bacterial properties of the free-radical molecule nitric oxide (NO•), when used in combination with commercial biocides, can enhance their efficacy.
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ItemBuilding a legacy in contemporary art in Timor-Leste(Pulido & Nunes; ICOM-Committee for Conservation, 2014)Arte Moris is an artists' collective that was established in Dili after the destruction that resulted in the aftermath of the Popular Consultation. In 2012 a series of interviews were conducted with staff in Arts Moris. These interviews identified youth-oriented art programs as an effective framework for building cultural and educational product in a future Timor-Leste.
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ItemEvidence and authenticity: the problem of cultural relativism in conservation decision-making(ICOFOM & ICOM-CC, 2019)Cultural materials conservation is, at its essence, concerned with knowledge transmission, with the construction of authenticity providing confidence in the security of this transmission. Discourse around cultural difference often problematizes attempts to provide singular approaches to conservation decision-making. Examining how an authentic record is constructed in diverse communities in Australia and Southeast Asia demonstrates the use of the same methodologies used to verify authenticity, thereby contesting cultural relativism as a useful construct in conservation decision-making.
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ItemNo Preview AvailablePreserving the Past: How to ensure the development of the conservation profession in Australia is preserved for the future(AICCM, 2011-10-19)The first AICCM conference “Conservation in Australia”, which was held in Canberra in 1976 at the Australian National University, was organised by the few conservators located in Canberra. The intervening 35 years have seen changes in the organisation and conservation profession. This 2011 AICCM National Conference, “Conservation in Australia: Past, Present and Future”, now back in Canberra, will allow us to view where we have come from, and examine the challenges for the future development of the AICCM and Australian conservation profession.
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ItemSimplicity in Complexity: Trends and Future Directions in Caring for Collections in Australia and Southeast Asia(National Heritage Board, 2019-11-29)Southeast Asia and Australia are characterised by diversity in culture and custom, language, history, climate, religion and belief, methods of government, and economic capacity. Such diversity poses particular challenges for universal approaches to museum development and management, and in particular for practices, policies, and procedures relating to the care of collections. Conversely, diversity provides fertile ground for regional approaches, provided that decisions result from targeted research, the sharing of knowledge and resources, and the development of protocols and procedures that reflect the diversity and acknowledge the various capacities, including in economics, in literacy and language, and in law across the region. In this lecture, Professor Robyn Sloggett examines some of the pressing issues in collections care that need to be addressed across Australia and Southeast Asia, and explores current trends, initiatives and future directions for the care of the rich, diverse, and very important collections that exist in the region.
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ItemAuthentication in a legal framework: Methodologies that underscore art authentication in practice(International Council of Museums, 2014-09-14)The ideal of art authentication in practice stems not solely from a need to protect market interests, but from a need to protect the interests of artists and the integrity of their artistic legacies (Spencer 2004). This paper looks at the legal context for the methodologies that underscore art authentication in practice, and the legal framework that should preposition the gathering of evidence, external to a court proceeding. Essentially, it seeks to explore the question: Should the potential for litigious action bind the process of art authentication to a legal evidence-based framework? This paper is presented with regard to the investigations of the oeuvre of the contemporary Australian artist Howard Arkley (1951–1999), currently being undertaken as part of the author’s PhD thesis at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
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ItemA preliminary comparative technical analysis of earth-based pigments used by Aboriginal artists from the Kimberley region and other natural, synthetic or commercial sources(International Council of Museums, 2014)Developing non-destructive analytical methodologies for Indigenous Australian cultural heritage is of critical interest for art historians, curators, artists and conservators. Prompted by an observed increase in the number of Australian Aboriginal artworks with problematic provenance, highlighted in a ground-breaking authentication case, and technical questions raised by the need to treat flood damaged artworks, research was undertaken to determine the best methods for analysing ochrebased paints. As many Aboriginal paintings and artefacts are predominantly composed of earthbased pigments, samples of synthetic pigments and naturally occurring ochres were obtained from a range of commercial and geographic sources, including Australia’s East Kimberley region. A combined methodology based on particle induced xray emission (PIXE), Australian Synchrotron powder diffraction (AS-PD) and microscopy was developed to explore the ability of a complementary data set to differentiate between synthetic and natural earth-based pigments from Australian and overseas sources. In addition, such investigations will ultimately be used to generate a database of elemental, mineralogical and microscopy data with the aim of establishing provenance and informing conservation treatment approaches.