Art that Lives and Breathes: Conserving Creatures in Contemporary Art

IF 0.7 4区社会学 0 HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Journal of the American Institute for Conservation Pub Date : 2020-12-03 DOI:10.1080/01971360.2020.1790093

Pamela Johnson

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT One might metaphorically describe the role of conservators as keeping art “alive”; they extend its life for future generations. This article presents two case studies in which the art conservator's role and skill set adapted in order to keep an artwork alive in a literal sense, where the success of the installation hinged on keeping a living component fed, watered, and productive. In this paper, the author discusses the preparation, innovation, and cross-disciplinary practices necessary when conservators are tasked with caring for living creatures in contemporary artworks. When the artwork involves live animals, conservators are forced to venture outside their own profession into different fields entirely in order to meet the needs of these creatures while also maintaining the integrity of the artwork. Palimpsest (1989), by Ann Hamilton in collaboration with Kathryn Clark, was a room-size installation comprised of multiple components, including 25 live snails. Roni Horn's Ant Farm (1974/2007) included about 5,000 live ants. In these two instances at two different institutions, the author was charged in a conservation capacity with meeting the needs of live animals while simultaneously upholding the conceptual and material requirements of the artwork.

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生命与呼吸的艺术:当代艺术中的生物保护

有人可能会把保护人的角色比喻为保持艺术的“生命力”；他们为子孙后代延长了它的寿命。本文介绍了两个案例研究，在这两个案例中，艺术保护人的角色和技能组合进行了调整，以保持艺术作品在字面意义上的生命力，其中装置的成功取决于保持一个有活力的部件的供给、浇水和生产。在本文中，作者讨论了当保育员负责照顾当代艺术品中的生物时，必要的准备、创新和跨学科实践。当艺术品涉及活体动物时，保护人员被迫在自己的职业之外冒险进入不同的领域，完全是为了满足这些生物的需求，同时保持艺术品的完整性。Ann Hamilton与Kathryn Clark合作的《重写录》（1989）是一个房间大小的装置，由多个组件组成，包括25只活蜗牛。Roni Horn的蚂蚁农场（1974/2007）包括大约5000只活蚂蚁。在这两个不同机构的案例中，作者以保护身份负责满足活体动物的需求，同时维护艺术品的概念和材料要求。

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来源期刊

Journal of the American Institute for Conservation HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The American Institute for Conservation is the largest conservation membership organization in the United States, and counts among its more than 3000 members the majority of professional conservators, conservation educators and conservation scientists worldwide. The Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC, or the Journal) is the primary vehicle for the publication of peer-reviewed technical studies, research papers, treatment case studies and ethics and standards discussions relating to the broad field of conservation and preservation of historic and cultural works. Subscribers to the JAIC include AIC members, both individuals and institutions, as well as major libraries and universities.