Tate’s paper conservators are responsible for works on paper on display at all four Tate sites, as well as on loan and in storage. Works of art on paper, by their very nature, are delicate and can be easily damaged by handling, and by light and air pollution. In order to be able to care for them effectively, paper conservators must be knowledgeable about how the works were made. Even such apparently simple acts as adhering paper to a mount board during framing can result in serious damage if done unthinkingly. Japanese tissue is used with a minimal amount of starch or methyl cellulose adhesive. Modern adhesives used in commercial framing introduce the possibility of long term problems in the form of staining the paper and can in time fail. Care must be taken not to introduce too much moisture and to weight the paper and mount board until the hinges have fully dried to avoid distortion.
Traditionally, the discipline of paper conservation has had two parts to it: on the one hand maintaining the actual paper in good condition, and on the other preserving the images that artists have made on that paper.
While many artists still use paper in traditional ways, just as many create work using paper in non-traditional ways. Furthermore, a number of complex contemporary works, such as installations, incorporate paper within them. Paper conservators must be versatile and, like other conservators at Tate, be ready to preserve not only the physical object, but also the essence of the artist’s intention in the work.
Tate also continually carries out research to find new and better ways to care for paper. One current line of investigation is anoxic display. Paper sealed into a frame without oxygen can, in theory, be exposed to greater light levels than normally considered acceptable, without either discolouration of the paper or fading of the pigments occurring. See anoxic storage of paper-based works of art for more information.
The rate of acquisition for works on paper is high. All four Tate sites have busy programmes of rotating displays. Works on paper require framing for display as they are generally stored unframed. Paper is a light sensitive support and the display of works has to be rationed and rotated to avoid excessive exposure.
Dr Leslie Carlyle, Head of Conservation
February 2007
Established: 197?
Conservators: 3.5 (inc. part-time posts)
Technicians & administrative staff: 4
