Challenges in contemporary mixed media collections : storage and preventative conservation of South African artists’ books at the Jack Ginsberg Centre for book arts

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate some of the difficulties encountered by museums when dealing with mixed media/composite artworks in terms of both collection management and preventative conservation. When it comes to preserving mixed media artworks, conservators face a unique difficulty because there is no single, standard method for doing so. The potential conservation measures required for each material used contributes to this. Artists' books are the subject of this analysis; these are books that have been created or altered by an artist, either as a one-of-a-kind work or as part of an edition, and for which no other medium would adequately convey the artist's intentions. Therefore, artists' books can be made from a wide variety of media and materials. With the use of research and case studies from international museums that contain artist's book collections, this project aims to compile a proposed collection management and preventative conservation strategy for the artists' book collection at the Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts. I evaluate the suitability of international museum practices for application in a South African context by comparing them to the Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts' existing approach and provide suggestions for how the local system might be improved. So that the collection can be appreciated for many years to come, the specialised system aims to enhance storage management regarding preservation and preventative conservation measures. This is the first research project to examine the importance of proper preservation and storage for this South African artists' book collection.