Photographic materials and preservation: an open forum and hands-on workshop

Join Emma Dacey, Julia Silvester and Ellie Thomas for a hands-on examination and discussion of photographic materials and their preservation, in a workshop designed to complement artists’ skill sets and provide resources to assist participants in enhancing the creation, presentation, and preservation of their work.

Workshop Facilitators

Julia Silvester is a conservator and artist who has been exhibiting since 2000; her work is included in the NGV and NGA, among other public collections. Julia lectured for 10+ years at RMIT and has run numerous creative and hands-on workshops in Australian cultural institutions.

Emma Dacey is a conservator of photographs and works on paper, with a background in art galleries, collection management, and artists’ archives, including Arts Foundation Icon Award recipient Ans Westra. Emma is an artist with particular interest in historical photographic processes, which drives her approach to advocating for sympathetic preservation of photographic materials.

Ellie Thomas is a conservator and award-winning art historian who specialises in exploring the nexus of the subject and object. Ellie’s background in feminist psychology informs her critical approach to conservation actions and the field’s challenges with intersectional equity and accessibility.

Price

Saturday 15 June
1pm – 5pm

$50 (10% discount CCP members)

We cannot accept cancellations/refunds within 72 hours of the event.

Further Details

What will I do in the workshop?

Following a presentation that provides background information, participants can apply their newly acquired knowledge to examine and identify example materials, trouble-shooting and discussing with workshop convenors. Following, an open forum invites participants to discuss their projects and raise any questions related to ongoing preservation of their work.

• Understand key historical contexts to scaffold the relevance of understanding photographic materials and their preservation needs
• Participate in hands-on engagement with physical prints and tools used in identification and conservation
• Action practical techniques for archival enclosures and display methods, such as constructing photo corners or an archival folder
• Participate in an open forum for discussion of projects and ideas, to explore how the boundaries of photographic materials can be pushed or manipulated

Please bring

• Projects/ideas/photographic samples
• Notebook & pencils

What are the workshop outcomes?

Tools for identification of photographic materials, context for why this is crucial, resources for further research and experimentation. Knowledge acquisition will complement participants’ already significant artistic skillset. Skills gained will enable participants to provide stable, professional, archival solutions in the presentation of their artworks, and enhance communication of future needs with buyers or galleries.

Participants will take home:

• References covered in the workshop
• Sample swatches of recommended archival materials and provider lists
• Templates for constructing archival housing