Conserving the expanded art object for Margel Hinder: Modern in Motion

Abstract

Margel Hinder: Modern in Motion, an exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) in early 2021, celebrates the work of Margel Hinder AM (1906–1995), a pioneer of abstraction in Australian sculptural practice. This exhibition gave AGNSW’s Objects and Paper Conservators unique insight into materials and techniques of this highly significant, often underestimated sculptor. To facilitate the authentic display of Hinder’s oeuvre in Modern in Motion, the authors adopted Irvin’s [Irvin S 2005, ‘‘The artist’s sanction in contemporary art’’, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 315–326] concept of the artist’s sanction, undertaking: qualitative analysis of archival materials and artist’s interviews, visual and materials analysis of select maquettes and sculpture. The artist’s focus on the staging of her works to control relational and dematerialised elements—light, movement and space—encouraged the authors to consider the conservation contributions of curatorial and photography departments. The benefits of this case study are two-fold: one, it provides a holistic insight into the life and multifaceted practice of this underrepresented female artist; and two it reveals the importance of interdepartmental collaboration for the authentic presentation and thus conservation of an artist’s work.

Keywords:

• Margel Hinder
• Abstraction
• Australian sculpture
• Sketchbook
• Conservation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Senior Curator of Australian Art, Denise Mimmocchi and Photographer Christopher Snee for their insightful comments and knowledge of Hinder’s practice. They would also like to thank Jessica McElhinney for her advice on the treatment of tracing papers, and the two anonymous reviewers whose comments were essential to the development of this paper. The conservation treatment of the AGNSW collection of 45 maquettes was supported by AGNSW Conservation Benefactors and additional support was received from the AGNSW Women’s Art Group to undertake much needed conservation of the AGNSW collection of Margel Hinder artworks.

Notes

1 Frank Lumb also welded the rod armature. Civic Park fountain (1966) was made by Hinder with technical assistance by Keith Jackson and Frank Hinder. Later works were fabricated by Jackson including From Northpoint (1975) and the Untitled (1972) Weymouth telephone exchange. The Sculpted form (1972) Woden, was fabricated by Michael Snook.

2 The particular vulnerability of public sculpture to change and loss is evident in Hinder’s oeuvre. Several of Hinder’s commissioned sculptures, including Carlton Rex Sydney (1960), Carlton Rex Melbourne (1960) and Revolving Sphere (1962/63), were destroyed due to building redevelopment. Growth forms (1958/59) was cut up for scrap metal in 1980 and was salvaged and rewelded by Hinder to be installed at the State Office Block, Sydney. In 1997 following the destruction of the State Office Block, it was relocated at The University of Technology, Sydney. From Northpoint was similarly relocated following the destruction of Northpoint shopping complex, and is now part of the Macquarie University collection. The structure requires significant treatment, and the kinetic and water components essential to the delivery of Hinder’s vision are no longer functional

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melanie Barrett

Melanie Barrett is an Objects Conservator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She has a BA (Social Work) from Sydney University and a BSc. (Restoration and Conservation wood and metal decorative surfaces) from London Metropolitan University. She has worked as Conservator at various National and International Institutions including Historic Royal Palaces, London, The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and The National Museum of Australia and has a particular interest in the conservation of modern and contemporary art.

Lois Waters

Lois Waters is a Paper Conservator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She has a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation from the University of Melbourne (UoM), and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Printmaking) from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). She has previously worked in paper conservation at Grimwade Conservation Services (UoM) and the Arts Centre Melbourne, and as a printmaking technician at the VCA. She is particularly interested in the conservation of modern and contemporary print-media.