Harriet Pearson, Maureen Cross, Rachel Barker
http://www.immediations.co.uk/
Temporality in modern and contemporary artworks manifests itself in various forms. By combining conceptual transience and material instability, a work can test institutional practices privileging a more enduring permanence of display. Additionally, the problem of unintended material instability presents a particular challenge to the conservator. While these temporal aspects have been widely discussed within conservation literature, little has been written on the care of artworks deemed temporary not by virtue of material choices but due to the artist’s intention or the exhibition choices of the institution. Through the comparison of case studies focussing on wall works by Richard Long and Richard Wright, an investigation into issues pertaining to the care of artworks originally envisaged as temporary is presented. A key source of research includes communication with the artists and related stakeholders.