If we look at a cultural object with only a contemporary eye and without inquisitiveness for its historical references, there is a risk of sanitizing its imagery and devaluing its historical context.

Emily Carr, untitled still life (circa 1890-1893)

History is more that what is found in the pages of a book and should have a significant presence in our lives. An artwork offers more than a visual experience. It can offer a connection to different philosophies and provide interpretations of past events and cultural values. Most importantly, an investigation of history can link us to artists and other people of different places and eras.

The analytical study of material properties and the use of solutions, magnifiers, and tiny swabs, comprise only a portion of the array of tools available to the conservator. Whether specializing in minute particles, paintings, or large buildings, the conservator's investigation of an object can lead to a discovery of geographical and cultural references.

Emily Carr, Totem Poles, Kitseukla (1912)

A knowledge of history enables one to view a piece from the aesthetic standards of its time of origin and to perhaps further understand the impetus underlying a certain style or period of art. The treatment approach to conservation problems extends well beyond a technophile's equipment, to the inherent value of an object. The question asked is: "How does this artist, or artwork, fit within the spectrum of history?"

These three images illustrate different phases of Emily Carr's evolving approach to painting. The still life piece was painted between 1890 and 1893 while she was studying art in San Francisco. She described the traditional training offered at the school as uninspiring. The second image, Totem Poles, Kitseukla, from 1912, shows a more expressive use of vivid colour which reflects Carr’s exposure to the Impressionist and Fauvist movements during the six years she spent in England and France.

A later work, Quiet, circa 1942, shows further development of her painting techniques, use of colour, and adoption of simplified forms and rhythmic movement. During this latter period, Emily Carr was inspired by the Group of Seven received encouragement from Lawren Harris in her search to refine her interpretation of the spirit and wild landscape of British Columbia.

Emily Carr, Quiet (1942)

By incorporating the value of history, and searching beyond an individual work, we may discover the particular evolution of an artist's creative endeavours. Close proximity to a painting offers the conservator a unique vantage point for examination of an artist's approach to the process of painting through deciphering how brushstrokes are laid and how the composition emerged. The conservator, as art historian, endeavours to combine such an intimate view of an artwork with a study of history to achieve a skillful balance with the results of technological decisions made under the scope of preservation.

Consider adding the following titles to your reading list: Seeing Through Paintings by Andrea Kirsh and Rustin S. Levenson, Unsettling Encounters: First Nations Imagery and the Art of Emily Carr, by Gerta Moray, Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon, by Hill, Lamoureux, and Thom.

next issue: Murals: painting as architecture.