tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80101752679304062692024-03-06T01:09:27.866-08:00U21 Cultural Exchange - University of MelbourneChloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-61143357689880632812013-09-15T17:39:00.000-07:002013-11-11T12:50:34.860-08:00Final visits - 11-09-13<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Normal__Char">Final week now, can’t believe how it’s flown by. Yesterday I gave a presentation about my time and my experiences of the placement. It was amazing to realise how much I’ve actually managed to fit into my time here. I think this is largely thanks to </span>the Cultural Collections Unit, who I've been based with, for having organised such an impressive programme for me.</span></div>
<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The presentation was also a good opportunity to tell people about the University of Birmingham’s collections. The audience included a few Melbourne students who were thinking of applying for the award, as well as collections staff from the University, so this information was received with interest.</span></div>
<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Today, I manage to fit in three things I’ve been very much looking forward to since coming to the University of Melbourne: visits to the Dax Centre and the Victorian College of the Arts, and a meeting with the co-ordinator of a collection-spanning course run for undergraduates, entitled Knowledge, Culture and Learning. A varied but inspirational bunch!</span></div>
<div class="Normal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-48712314753938640362013-09-04T00:04:00.004-07:002013-09-04T00:12:00.974-07:00The Herbarium 03-09-13<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwBQaLT0LrvQ5rcv6tv2Om6y0rIjl61nocps3S03pLqAORqYWxu9hVohe-Y_52qi_SsxfiRQ70cRCWQ_ROF62caxDGsqwdl30FEXxUB0WrlDvMb1hu8lrKXtafLnn5T-KD3D6fnqnrETe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.23.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwBQaLT0LrvQ5rcv6tv2Om6y0rIjl61nocps3S03pLqAORqYWxu9hVohe-Y_52qi_SsxfiRQ70cRCWQ_ROF62caxDGsqwdl30FEXxUB0WrlDvMb1hu8lrKXtafLnn5T-KD3D6fnqnrETe/s200/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.23.30.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Loan specimens being checked</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Today I visited the University of Melbourne's herbarium. I was helping to process a loan of specimen's from another University, which was a great opportunity to learn about botanical collections, their uses and the issues they face.</span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">The collection is largely comprised of crisply dried botanical specimens that have been secured to sheets of paper, along with notes and annotations added at the point of its collection, its cataloguing and subsequent re-classifications. Aesthetically, they are absolutely charming. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUUxPJQHMYx805pG2mQn6o5HrRicBLNJtpLuR3mWb8wwyh_3fbD_0I03JbIbHvFt1bht5cUSHswiMhc0O5hLurIVi8LeoQsu4a-D6fLngU_GKtZyMyvfHhue5XZ_BQLP5UfdPpwH5z1sH/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.23.11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUUxPJQHMYx805pG2mQn6o5HrRicBLNJtpLuR3mWb8wwyh_3fbD_0I03JbIbHvFt1bht5cUSHswiMhc0O5hLurIVi8LeoQsu4a-D6fLngU_GKtZyMyvfHhue5XZ_BQLP5UfdPpwH5z1sH/s200/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.23.11.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">... and neatly packed</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This dead organic matter constitutes a collection that is very much alive in terms of its use. It is constantly being added to, is used for teaching and research within and beyond the University, and makes use of new digital technology. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The specimens hold the answers to a number of contemporary questions about our climate and ecosystem - for example, by analysing their DNA, we can compare levels of pollutants in the air in different times and places, and observing the spread or decline of plants in an area can reveal information about climate change. The specimens' research potential are enhanced by the herbarium's new scheme of high resolution digital imaging, which will reduce the time, money and the risks involved with physical loans; and by their participation in the Atlas of Living Australia, a fantastic resource which pools information about plant species and locations across time from institutions, organisations and individuals across Australia.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTSuI3ZEWCp-qBSsCy3U8rSw37bNGZt84J3t362pEYlLuk3IbOnK99l1_u9yGZ2_gtPqlPnh58Xjr9mC6qfknN0ie_hqTzfgiPUGTNQULSl4Vnq-7IHTHwZ2pcsLHSTxlPdo3wr7tSm5K/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.21.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTSuI3ZEWCp-qBSsCy3U8rSw37bNGZt84J3t362pEYlLuk3IbOnK99l1_u9yGZ2_gtPqlPnh58Xjr9mC6qfknN0ie_hqTzfgiPUGTNQULSl4Vnq-7IHTHwZ2pcsLHSTxlPdo3wr7tSm5K/s200/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+13.21.30.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">An eerie exhibit of the contents left in Grainger's<br /> mother's handbag following her suicide.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I also made a trip to the Grainger Museum, where I thoroughly enjoyed the insights into Grainger's autobiographical approach to curating. I left feeling simultaneously amused by his unusual character and inspired by his avid pursuit of so many interests!</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-87350407876447309442013-09-01T00:49:00.001-07:002013-09-01T00:49:25.587-07:00UMA and the Potter - 28-08-13
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">This week I was introduced to the University of Melbourne
Archives and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, where I learnt about the various
ways these institutions engage students, staff and alumini of the University,
as well as the wider public with their collections. Both institutions offered
me a valuable introduction to their day to day duties and also encouraged me to
talk to members of staff whose work I was particularly interested in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4SeUHOqigQHab5GnmezOJcP9Gkb9fTmMWQ9chcebgQinbtJ3P00blC66gU-Tkhcw9g_Uf-7qzio2qNEzOH87Eg-_Nv2lOVH7z5Ac_1DJgQU09vcMn4zuXLCmGpzbNnCKfY2ZJ2htU6Ua/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-28+at+11.34.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4SeUHOqigQHab5GnmezOJcP9Gkb9fTmMWQ9chcebgQinbtJ3P00blC66gU-Tkhcw9g_Uf-7qzio2qNEzOH87Eg-_Nv2lOVH7z5Ac_1DJgQU09vcMn4zuXLCmGpzbNnCKfY2ZJ2htU6Ua/s200/Screen+shot+2013-08-28+at+11.34.47.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UMA's magnificent collection of boxes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ucfn1wamcfh9y46Gxy7RSXDMAP6HS2SAo5tuvHR3xDzQgN-GAMYj4nXb6kH8WbmmoLbLBv3BosjWwpRm2jrO0BYt9ly1mE82nFfEer0Z7XoU_NjhjaRIUfHvoK6AbFS_GrEVb7dTuu2L/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-28+at+11.34.29.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ucfn1wamcfh9y46Gxy7RSXDMAP6HS2SAo5tuvHR3xDzQgN-GAMYj4nXb6kH8WbmmoLbLBv3BosjWwpRm2jrO0BYt9ly1mE82nFfEer0Z7XoU_NjhjaRIUfHvoK6AbFS_GrEVb7dTuu2L/s200/Screen+shot+2013-08-28+at+11.34.29.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">The University Archives holds 18km in shelving of archival
records and materials, relating to businesses, social and political movements,
the city and the University. The staff are currently working to improve
accessibility by using digital systems to comprehensively record and organise
information about their holdings. This is an ernormous project that includes
ironing out any anomalies that have occurred since the archive’s birth half a
century ago, as items and records have been moved, new collections have been
acquired, members of staff have left and procedures have changed. It showed me
that archives certainly aren’t the static things that I had previously
imagined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">It was also interesting to see how the work of an archivist,
more so than that of an academic, curator or researcher, really aspires to
objectivity. The archivist endeavours to order things objectively, describe
things objectively, and although assessing the significance of an object is an
important aspect of their role, there is still a strong impetus to preserve
even those items that may seem to be trivial or arcane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">At the Potter, I was privileged to attend a meeting to
discuss a coming exhibition on the architecture on campus (which, incidentally,
referred to a number of images that I had encountered the previous day in the
archives!) This exhibition will explore how the changing representations of the
University, through its buildings and their depcitions, reflect the changing
image that the University hopes to present of itself. This strikes me as a
fantastic opportunity to engage students of the University but also members of
the public, who will have observed, as I did in my first entry, the multitude
of architectural styles even from the outskirts of the campus, and may
subsequently be inclined to explore the campus grounds within.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I was
incredibly excited and inspired by my discussions with the Curator of Academic
Programmes, Heather Gaunt. Heather’s inventive projects and ideas recognise
that University art collections and galleries house great potential for
education across an extremely broad array of academic disciplines. She has
worked with students studying medicine and dentistry, business and marketing,
computer science, and English as a foreign language, using art as a tool to
develop new or existing skills relevant to that discipline. Her approach was
refreshing in that many of the projects were mutually beneficial for the
participants and for the Museum, in contrast to the Museum that often perceives
its visitors as passive beneficiaries. This really feeds into my personal
interests in cultural engagement and was also highly relevant for my Cultural
Collections Unit project.</span><!--EndFragment-->
Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-87449841817702596782013-08-26T05:05:00.004-07:002013-08-26T05:08:02.082-07:00Trip to Ballarat - 23-08-13 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIxzP8b2qqHCea0iQI2CBgBV4sMC2Z4dW2jIt1OUksLwyebfEsys-w-Th0t-EhepWpyvTP15RjNfGDKqADJCuDrhqPNBYKKNHJWzEVKB1_ejNhgOEQN3tlmSP1EmDJJGHisAEpikzGtCL/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.24.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIxzP8b2qqHCea0iQI2CBgBV4sMC2Z4dW2jIt1OUksLwyebfEsys-w-Th0t-EhepWpyvTP15RjNfGDKqADJCuDrhqPNBYKKNHJWzEVKB1_ejNhgOEQN3tlmSP1EmDJJGHisAEpikzGtCL/s320/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.24.19.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself and Jason admiring the lovely gallery space at Ballarat </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Visited Ballarat Art Gallery today with
staff to assess the exhibition space in anticpation of the University’s 2014
touring exhibition of prints: ‘Radicals, Slayers and Villains’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I was interested to learn that Ballarat
Gallery is actually modelled on Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which the founder,
fairly, regarded as the exemplar regional gallery! The inclusion of a John
Bratby work in their 20<sup>th</sup> century rooms also caught my eye,
representing a connection with the University of Birmingham. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Other excitements included a retrospective of Robert Clinch’s jaw-droppingly detailed representations of urban Melbourne and a moving exhibition responding to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, by Doc Ross.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-19679630641971760632013-08-26T04:56:00.001-07:002013-08-26T04:56:19.728-07:00CCMC - 21-08-13
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">The conservation project was one of the
aspects of the award that I have been most looking forward to, since its an
area that I presently have very limited experience of. Today was my first day
at the University’s Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (CCMC), and it
certainly didn’t disappoint.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyaZ0oFZAZTK2z6h0r7j_qyYMZjN0YtdzuuLsHkVPcqOvGgOyr2iqIOrTz5Dclfjt0Y5QWoessSzL27yP9BYa17JJ5oXhyq6KN_rYFlg84kRlsIxHzqwY5Wwk4hhCcC2Hnn7AcVC3SOlo/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.05.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyaZ0oFZAZTK2z6h0r7j_qyYMZjN0YtdzuuLsHkVPcqOvGgOyr2iqIOrTz5Dclfjt0Y5QWoessSzL27yP9BYa17JJ5oXhyq6KN_rYFlg84kRlsIxHzqwY5Wwk4hhCcC2Hnn7AcVC3SOlo/s400/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.05.35.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the labs at CCMC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">The conservation labs are exciting places
in themselves: characterised by an uncommon mix of artist materials and
scientific apparatus. Pigments and potions, swaps, brushes, and specialist
machinery are scattered around upturned oil paintings and other dilapidated
treasures. The array of materials reflects the impressive scope of the
conservators’ skills and knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">My previous experiences of handling
artworks and artefacts have focused on the preventative side of conservation,
which generally means keeping the objects in stable conditions and minimising
physical contact with them. It was therefore amazing to see the conservators
confronting (albeit with utmost care) traditional no-go areas, such as paint
surface. At the same time, a respect for the original is central to their work.
I saw, for example, how any painted restorations were separated from the
original paintwork with a layer of soluble varnish. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-AU">I was also fortunate enough to accompany
the team to a research seminar hosted at the University, which demonstrated how
science and conservation issues can directly inform art historical
understanding. One paper on Sidney Nolan’s use of commercial paints skilfully
compiled<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>biographical information,
archival research and chemical and material analysis of Nolan’s paints into a
fascinating account of the artist’s use of and relationship with his medium.
Another showed how synchrotron technology had been used to reveal an
underpainting beneath the National Gallery of Victoria’s Degas work, <i>Portrait
of a woman </i></span><span lang="EN-AU">(c.1876 – 80) in astonishing detail <i>and
colour</i></span><span lang="EN-AU">! Using elemental maps this incredible
technique revealed a work that the artist would have presumed we’d never see –
excellent news for the prying art historian!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also this week: Attended a number of events from the student
arts festival, Mudfest, including a (deliberately) disorientating and slightly
traumatic performance called Blindness, based on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434;">Jose Saramago’s novel of the same name.</span></span><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010175267930406269.post-23053230161368781552013-08-26T04:40:00.001-07:002013-08-26T05:08:50.304-07:00First days in Melbourne - 20-08-2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">My first four days in Melbourne have been
experienced as a series of introductions: to the city, the University, and to
some of the staff that I’m going to be working with over the coming weeks. Each
continues to add to my increasing sense of excitement and gratitude for the
award. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9PYXuJ3fqQdNUT61sTfZy_IcV49DxPieu6klBz_ORE6vduQRUutlmGAM4-QVyDU8I7gcKmEjVSpuG1tfB28Ev_wQ0l8hwqZic5aBKsokK1gqlWedJu85IgKrdQdhu6nQscyrtpDxqnFM/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+11.41.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9PYXuJ3fqQdNUT61sTfZy_IcV49DxPieu6klBz_ORE6vduQRUutlmGAM4-QVyDU8I7gcKmEjVSpuG1tfB28Ev_wQ0l8hwqZic5aBKsokK1gqlWedJu85IgKrdQdhu6nQscyrtpDxqnFM/s320/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+11.41.39.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The facade of an old bank is preserved on campus, due to be <br />
incorporated into the new architecture building<br />
for the second time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-AU">The day after my arrival in Melbourne
happened to be the University’s Open Day, which presented a great opportunity
to preview the campus and some it’s collections. I was immediately struck by a
number of similarities between this campus and Birmingham’s. There is the same
close juxtaposition of grand, nineteenth-century architecture against the more
pragmatic modernist buildings, as well as striking examples of twenty-first
century design - a physical manifestation of the fact that despite being built
on historic foundations, both Universities are incredibly forward-thinking!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">The same can be said of both Melbourne’s
and Birmingham’s attitudes to their collections. They seem to share a concern
that these historic collections be utilised today as well as preserved for the
future. However, I have also been able to observe some differences between the
ways that the two universities use and manage their holdings. For example,
Melbourne is endowed with a fantastically well equipped and well staffed
conservation department, which can be called upon to administer special
attention to any objects, paintings or papers in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another difference results from the
fact that each of Melbourne’s thirty collections is run and managed separately, although they are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>required to
comply with university wide policy and minimum standards for their care,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and are all supported in this by the Cultural
Collections team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">On the afternoon of my first day, we observed the British tradition of
afternoon tea. It was wonderful to be introduced to a number of staff members
who work with the collections in various ways. One of the things I have always
found exciting about cultural collections, and in particular, those housed in
universities, is that they often form a point around which a variety of
different people, practices and approaches can meet and communicate. It seems
that the projects I’m going to be working on whilst I’m in Melbourne will
really see this in action.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />Chloe Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03587636731831437172noreply@blogger.com0