Documentation & Planning
documentation & planning
Examinations and Condition Assessments- A condition assessment is the first step before any conservation treatment can be carried out. The conservator will examine the work of art carefully and prepare a written report that records detailed notes about its condition. The report also provides a treatment proposal, or other recommended actions that should take place. Digital photographs will also be taken as part of this process. Condition assessments and treatment proposals can also be useful for applying for grant funding for conservation treatments.
Collections Surveys- A collection survey involves the examination, and condition assessment of a group of objects. Typically, brief notes are made about the condition and the collection is evaluated as a group. Objects are prioritized by how urgently they need treatment and recommendations are made for each item. Recommendations are practical and can be tailored depending on the capacity of the owner organization's staff and budget. These can be particularly useful for planning outdoor sculpture maintenance for a public art collection or for recording the condition of a newly acquired group of objects at an institution.
Maintenance Plans- Maintenance is crucial for keeping outdoor sculpture in good condition and KCI does not carry out conservation treatments on objects where there is no commitment to continued maintenance. KCI strives to provide practical, written, maintenance plans that take into account the financial and personnel resources of the client. Maintenance plans outline what work needs to be done and the appropriate timeline in which maintenance should take place. We can write a maintenance plan as a stand-alone document or we may provide a maintenance plan following a conservation treatment.
Pre-Fabrication Design Phase Conservation Assessments- When commissioning a new work of public art, it is the best practice to have the artist’s plans for materials and methods reviewed by a conservator and often a structural engineer. The conservator has specialized knowledge about how materials interact and degrade and can foresee any problems that may occur, such as corrosion of metals, public safety considerations, drainage problems, and materials that are not suited for long-term display outdoors or in public places. These assessments allow public art professionals to understand the longevity of new works of art and to plan for routine maintenance. KCI completes these types of assessments and provides written reports with specific recommendations on a routine basis.
Treatment Documentation- The Code of Ethics for the American Institute for the Conservation requires that all conservators document their work. Therefore, KCI provides the following with every conservation treatment: a written treatment proposal that describes the condition of the artwork and the plan for treatment; a written treatment report detailing the conservation work that was completed; and photographs documenting the artwork’s condition before and after treatment.