Conserving (with) David Lynch. A Treatment Conditioned by Communication

ABSTRACT

A chance for cooperation between artist and conservator appeared during the exhibition of David Lynch's works in the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń. This case considers Lynch's diverse materials, secret techniques, and desire to repair his own works, with just the assistance of a conservator. The author's decision to take part in the first non-traditional artist's interventions started the communication. The collaboration enabled the recognition of original materials and artists' aesthetical expectations – and as a result, proper conservation treatment, based on built trust and mutual knowledge exchange. Assisting in the artist's repair allowed a conservator to treat subsequent works using ethically acceptable conservation methods, to recognize, research, and document materials and techniques, and to define the artist's preferences for future treatments. This case study provides a framework to approach an artist's active presence as a precedent; their impact on the conservation process should be helping to create an inclusive, dynamic, and flexible process, most effective when remaining open-ended. This article presents the axiological shift of declaring the artist as the most important decision-making voice and considers the ethical consequences to both conservation practice and the artworks themselves if such an inclusive process were to be embraced.

RÉSUMÉ

Lors de l'exposition des œuvres de David Lynch au Centre of Contemporary Art (Centre d'art contemporain) de Toruń, une occasion de coopération entre l'artiste et un conservateur-restaurateur s'est présentée. Les cas prennent en compte les divers matériaux, les techniques secrètes de l'artiste et sa volonté de réparer ses œuvres par lui-même, avec la seule assistance du conservateur-restaurateur. La décision de participer aux premières interventions non traditionnelles de l'artiste a permis d'engager la conversation. Elle a rendu possible l'identification des matériaux originaux ainsi que des attentes esthétiques de l'artiste et, par conséquent – l'élaboration d'un traitement de conservation approprié, fondé sur la confiance et l'échange de connaissances mutuelles. Aider l'artiste lors de réparations laisse la possibilité au conservateur-restaurateur de traiter les œuvres ultérieures en utilisant des méthodes de conservation éthiquement acceptables, d'identifier, de rechercher et de documenter les matériaux et les techniques ainsi que de faire connaitre les préférences de l'artiste, définies pour les traitements futurs. L'étude de cas fournit le cadre permettant d'aborder la présence active de l'artiste comme un précédent pour la reconnaissance de son impact fondamental dans le processus de conservation qui doit être inclusif, dynamique et flexible, le plus efficace tout en restant ouvert. Elle présente le changement axiologique consistant à déclarer l'artiste comme la voix décisionnelle la plus importante et envisage les conséquences éthiques à la fois pour la pratique de la conservation et pour les œuvres d'art elles-mêmes si un tel processus inclusif devait être adopté. Traduit par Anne-Stéphanie Étienne.

RESUMO

Durante a exposição dos trabalhos de David Lynch no Centro de Arte Contemporânea em Torun, surgiu a oportunidade de uma cooperação entre artista e conservador. Os casos consideravam diversos materiais, técnicas secretas do artista e sua vontade de reparar ele mesmo os seus trabalhos, apenas com a assistência de um conservador. A decisão de participar na primeira intervenção não tradicional do artista deu início a comunicação. Foi realizada a identificação dos materiais originais, as expectativas estéticas do artista e como resultado, um projeto adequado de tratamento de conservação baseado na confiança mútua e troca de conhecimento. Dar assistência ao trabalho de reparo do artista, possibilitou o conservador tratar os trabalhos subsequentes utilizando métodos de conservação eticamente aceitáveis, reconhecendo, pesquisando e documentando materiais e técnicas, e relando as preferências definidas pelo artista para futuros tratamentos. O estudo de caso proporciona uma base para a abordagem da presença ativa do artista como um precedente para o reconhecimento do seu impacto primário no processo de conservação o qual deve ser inclusivo, dinâmico e flexível, mais efetivo quando permanece sem um fechamento. Apresenta a mudança axiológica de se declarar o artista como a voz mais importante na tomada de decisão e considera as consequências éticas tanto para a prática da conservação como para as obras de arte elas mesmas se tal processo inclusive passar a ser adotado. Traduzido por Claudia Carvalho.

RESUMEN

Durante la exposición de las obras de David Lynch en el Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Toruń surgió una oportunidad de cooperación entre el artista y el conservador. Los casos consideraron materiales diversos, la técnica secreta del artista y su voluntad de reparar sus obras por sí mismo, con la asistencia del conservador únicamente. La decisión de participar en las primeras intervenciones no tradicionales de artistas inició la comunicación. Permitió el reconocimiento de los materiales originales, las expectativas estéticas de los artistas y como resultado, el diseño de un tratamiento de conservación adecuado, basado en la confianza que se desarrolló y el intercambio de conocimientos mutuos. Al ayudar en la reparación hecha por el artista, permitió que un conservador tratara otras obras posteriormente utilizando métodos de conservación éticamente aceptables, reconociera, investigara y documentara materiales y técnicas y revelara que las preferencias del artista fueran definidas para tratamientos futuros. El estudio de caso proporciona el marco para abordar la presencia activa del artista como un precedente para reconocer su impacto principal en el proceso de conservación, que debe ser inclusivo, dinámico y flexible y es más efectivo cuando permanece abierto. Presenta el cambio axiológico de declarar al artista como la voz más importante en la toma de decisiones y considera las consecuencias éticas tanto para la práctica de conservación como para las obras de arte en sí mismas si se adoptara un proceso tan inclusivo. Traducción: Amparo Rueda.

KEYWORDS:

• Conservator-artist cooperation
• artist repair, conservator assistance
• conservation of contemporary art
• David Lynch

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Klaudia Gontowska for conducting FTIR analyses and Dr. Grażyna Szczepańska for executing SEM-EDX research. A debt of gratitude is owed to Michel Barile, David Lynch assistant for his devotion in maintaining exchange of precious information and David Lynch him-self for unforgettable opportunity of cooperation and for the trust during further steps of conservation treatment, as well as for possibility of visiting artist’s studio and delivery of model samples of non-traditional materials used by him for further research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Rodley, Chris, Lynch on Lynch, Faber& Faber, London 2005, p. 20.

2 Conducted by G. Szczepańska, using SEM-LEO 1430VP, Carl Zeiss; EDS – Quantax 200, Bruker AXS, EHT = 28 kV, of variable pressure (50 Pa) and with detector XFlash 4010 (Bruker AXS Microanalysis GmbH, Germany).

3 Veerbeck, Muriel, Brandi and the restoration of contemporary art. One side and the other the Teoria, Conversaciones con … Cesare Brandi y Giulio Carlo Argan, 2019, 7: 220.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mirosław Wachowiak

Miroslaw Wachowiak completed his MA in conservation in 2004 at Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU), Toruń, Poland, and PhD in 2008 also at NCU. At the moment he works as an associate professor in the Department of Conservation of Modern and Contemporary Art. Deputy Dean of the NCU Fine Arts Faculty and conservator at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń. In his research and conservation practice he focuses on treatment and technological recognition of the 19th and 20th century works of art. Basing on in-situ analyses he build chronological database of dates of pigments implementation by central European artist in the 19th century and characterized some differences of their paintings' primings in this period. At present he focuses on recognition of contemporary works of art, often cooperating with living artist and dealing with redefining conservation ethics challenging this new situation.