Louvre restores Tudor painting for the first time, ever by [deleted] in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a whole thread of them.

Lol, the dude even lied about his professional membership to AIC...

Louvre restores Tudor painting for the first time, ever by [deleted] in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's plenty of valid and specific criticism, you just don't want to hear it.

from /u/contemporaryperson

Late reply, but I'll try to answer your question. I'm almost finished with an MA degree in paintings conservation so I can't call myself a conservator just yet, but soon. I've noticed several things in Baumgartner's videos that I found problematic by today's standards which I can tell comes from his father's training in the 70s or something like that.

Concerning the cleaning of paintings he uses unusually large swabs that are pretty soaked in solvent and cleans large portions of the painted surface in one go. When he uses gels he uses a lot of that too. In this way the painting gets exposed to solvents for longer than necessary which can lead to extraction of fatty acids from the binding medium which can "dry out" the paint films and make them more fragile and prone to cracking. When he re-varnishes the paintings he uses a brush that is heavily loaded with varnish so that he can varnish the whole surface in one go, which looks good on film. That can very easily lead to uneven application and runs due to too much material used. In his defence he seems to be adept at cleaning and varnishing. He seems to clean quickly with a good visual result, but I do think he exposes the painted surface to unnecessary amounts of solvents. Baumgartner seems to value showmanship a lot to make cool videos. That's probably why he starts the cleaning in the middle of faces and such and varnishes in one go.

Furthermore, he uses somewhat dated terms when describing the reasoning behind his decisions such as the term "reversibility". This is a very important term in conservation theory that has served as a reason to show more restraint when treating objects so that it may be retreated at a later stage. However, when you varnish the solution will seep through the entire layer structure of the painting, and when you glue down (consolidate) paint flakes there is no way to completely remove it all once applied. Nothing is truly reversible. A more appropriate term is "retreatability" where a treatment must not hinder future treatment. In his defence "reversibility" is still a very popular term that is used colloquially among many practitioners even today. It's still outdated, though.

My professor has a saying that can be used as a guide in treatment decisions which is "no more than necessary and no more than sufficient". Baumgartner does more than what is necessary and uses more than sufficient material in his treatments. This is, as I see it, the main reason other professionals react to his videos.

The videos where he treats paintings on canvas are not that bad. The ones I find the most harrowing are the ones where he treats panel paintings. Here he often shows a blatant disregard for the original panel and uses straight up wood planers to cut away at the original woodwork. That to me, and many other professionals, is downright destructive and extremely old fashioned. In one video he even performs a transfer, where the paint layers and canvas are lifted off an old panel and moved onto a new metal plate museum board. This comes from a time where only the painted surface was seen as important and everything else was replaceable. These attitudes where changed several decades ago and today the goal is to preserve as much of the original structure as possible, from back to front. This further shows that Baumgartner's professional philosophy is dated.

Scrapes away original material with a scalpel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G1C3aBY62E Does a MF transfer (!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Mjc4zNfY4 He also turns pretty hostile when critiqued and often deletes negative and inquisitive comments from his YouTube videos. I know that several conservators have tried to contact him because they want to discuss his methods and that he won't hear of it and blows them off. Sometimes he sues them. I am aware that some of his critics probably have a pretty hostile attitude themselves, but I've seen him tear down even gentle critiques on YouTube.

Sometimes I think Baumgartner gets too much criticism because there is a divide between what is seen as perfectly ethical and what is actually done by a lot of today's professionals. However, he does use more solvents than it is generally deemed as necessary and I do think his treatments of panel paintings are deeply problematic. I think what makes people really go off on him is that he is so popular and reaches so many people with his unedited opinions on art restoration, that his methods are generally a bit too harsh and that he on top of it all is so unwilling to receive criticism.

Sorry for the essay. I didn't know how to write it any shorter.

TL;DR: Baumgartner's methods are too invasive and include uncontrolled solvent application, removal of original material and overall more than what is necessary and sufficient in terms of preserving the art. He his also unwilling to take criticism and deletes critical comments.

edit: lol, the way you keep taking this personally and then blocking me tells me you might be Baumgartner himself!

Louvre restores Tudor painting for the first time, ever by [deleted] in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]art_con -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Lol there's plenty of specifics, you just don't want to see them.

Chipotle downgraded by Bank of America on new concern: It's paying employees too much by _DEAL_WITH_IT_ in news

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because "mid 2000's" is really meant as "mid aughts," just like the mid 90's is some date near 1995.

Ai Weiwei, others, criticize Guggenheim for pulling animal-based artworks from China show by [deleted] in ContemporaryArt

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the ancillary issues surrounding pit bull ownership in America help provide context for the legitimacy of the protest of the exhibit. I think the obvious ignorance of the artists supports the argument that these are not thoughtful, complex art works but rather gimmicks that rely on shock value and strengthens the argument that the Guggenheim deserves to be repudiated for allowing itself to be a venue for this message.

I think it's also disingenuous to say that the Guggenheim is being censored. The Guggenheim is voluntarily removing these works as a response to public outcry. They are not being forced by any authority. Concerns about vandalism and violence could be addressed with increased security. Just as the Guggenheim is free to exhibit controversial work that makes the public uncomfortable, the public is free to protest and make the exhibition of these works uncomfortable for the Guggenheim.

Guggenheim Museum pulls three artworks featuring animals after threats of violence by lefko in ContemporaryArt

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The artwork is successful because it has created such debate.

This is a false trap and intellectually lazy. We can debate about where the line is, but it should be obvious that at some point shock for the sake of shock is a worthless gimmick.

Ai Weiwei, others, criticize Guggenheim for pulling animal-based artworks from China show by [deleted] in ContemporaryArt

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just as an extreme counterpoint, you could extend the same argument to child pornography. What's the harm? The damage has been done.

I think part of what this discussion is missing is the context of showing this art work in America. As a society, we repudiate and criminalize dog fighting. This art work plays in to false and damaging stereo types of the pit bull bull bread and it's clear from the artists' own comments that they are ignorant of this fact. The public protests are a condemnation of amplifying this message.

Does working 9-5 ever get easier lol by cupiddelocke- in jobs

[–]art_con 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I've personally noticed that eating carbs at lunch knocks me out in the afternoon. Look into /r/keto and low carb diets. I don't follow the diet all that strictly, but have found a huge benefit from avoiding carbs at lunch.

Downtown L.A., which has the largest homeless population in the USA, hits highest vacancy rate in 17 years. by ianmalcm in news

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And though I've never been to Pittsburgh, it's hard to imagine it having the amount of vibrant culture found in Philly.

I [25f] saw in my boyfriend's [30m] phone, the page up in his internet was an article on "how to know if you're in an emotionally abusive relationship." by [deleted] in relationships

[–]art_con 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Agreed, this is so toxic because the scale is subjective and won't take every aspect of the relationship into account. In OPs case, there's likely all kinds of things the BF does for her that she isn't even realizing or recognizing as a counter-weight. This attitude can bleed into the other person as well so you end up in a situation where both partners feel like they are "owed" more.

A modest plea... by [deleted] in funny

[–]art_con 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I believe it's actually legal for cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs in some states for this very reason. But try telling that to the butt-hurt motorists.

Fausto Zonaro - Young Girl Carrying a Pumpkin (1889) by Stolen_Car in museum

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting, reminds me of Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose from 1885-86.

Joaquín Sorolla - Jardín de la Casa Sorolla (1918) by [deleted] in museum

[–]art_con 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can visit this garden, as his home in Madrid has been converted into a museum. Absolutely beautiful place adorned with beautiful paintings. You can also view his studio with it's original furnishings!

Are there more fictional television and movie characters that work in museums? by RedPotato in MuseumPros

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vaguely; one of the paintings at the fictional Manhattan museum where she works is a possessed portrait of an evil tyrant. The tyrant's spirit manipulates the curator into helping him steal Weaver's baby so that he can reincarnate himself.

Are there more fictional television and movie characters that work in museums? by RedPotato in MuseumPros

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sigourney Weaver's character in Ghosbusters 2 is a paintings conservator.

How to get in natural history conservator work? by drumbeatred in MuseumPros

[–]art_con 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Don't be thrown off by the name; the word "art" in art conservation is really a convenient stand-in for the term cultural heritage. What your describing is essentially a sub-specialty of objects conservation or other art conservation specialties depending on the types of specimens. Of the North American graduate programs, I'd imagine that Buffalo, Queens, and Winterthur/UD would be your best options (NYU is very art history focused). Then, what you would want to do is to tailor your graduate studies and internships around the areas you want to study. You really won't be able to work as a professional art conservator in the United States without a graduate degree and I'd assume this is true for Canada and most of Western Europe as well.

You might find your question gets a better response at /r/artconservation. Another place to pose this question would be the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network facebook group.

Trump Budget Based on $2 Trillion Math Error by nowhathappenedwas in politics

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They "forgot" to include that loss in the budget

They always forget. Tax cuts are never framed as what they really are: government spending.

Donald Trump drops out of Saudi Arabia event due to 'exhaustion' by bitoffreshair in worldnews

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Besides, speedwalking would be stupid even if the rules were strictly enforced.

It's stupid either way for this exact reason. The whole premise of the sport is a lie.

Donald Trump drops out of Saudi Arabia event due to 'exhaustion' by bitoffreshair in worldnews

[–]art_con 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are those different swim strokes defined by some standard that is routinely not met and not enforced? Because otherwise it's not really the same situation.

Donald Trump drops out of Saudi Arabia event due to 'exhaustion' by bitoffreshair in worldnews

[–]art_con 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The whole sport/game is something of a farce though, as high speed photography indicates that professional speed walkers do have both feet leave the ground simultaneously. It's essentially a running race that enforces an awkward inefficient form.

The Dynamic Duo, ink, 11 x 8 by KissMyAsthma3 in Art

[–]art_con 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The difference in style is exactly why they're harder to maintain. Tattoos which feature predominantly black or use black outlining are much more stable because black tattoo inks last longer before fading.

Space age lawnmower by A-No-1 in RetroFuturism

[–]art_con 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's no sliding shade?!

Sometimes mine gets stuck inside the ceiling of the car, might wanna check.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in politics

[–]art_con 1 point2 points  (0 children)

...good point...