Desk
Aleya Lanteigne
Analysis by Vickie Stone
Few art pieces are made to be ephemeral, so museum collection managers spend their careers taking care of objects to preserve the original form of a piece in perpetuity. Wood pieces, such as Lanteigne’s desk, pose several particular challenges when it comes to preservation. The first is lighting can severely alter or damage organic materials. Even though this desk is lightly colored wood, exposure to ultraviolet light can cause discoloration over time. To best preserve this piece for as long as possible, monitoring its time on exhibition and rotating the piece in and out of dark storage areas could decrease light exposure over time.
Another major problem when taking care of wood for an extended period of time is managing pests that are attracted to wood. Termites and other wood boring insects can eat away at the structure of the piece. The best practice is to set up pest traps close to the piece if it is in storage and to monitor for pest activity if the piece is on exhibition display.
Collection managers should also control, as best as possible, the temperature and humidity levels of the storage and exhibition areas of the piece. Wood can develop mildew or mold if exposed to moisture which can lead to damage on the piece itself or lead to the spread of these fungi to other objects. Dust also can cause damage by abrading the surface over time. Laneigne’s piece has three open compartment spaces that could collect dust easily, so regular cleaning could keep dust from accumulating and causing abrasion damage.
The job of a collections manager is to keep the art piece in the same state that the artist intended so that the piece can be enjoyed for generations. Mitigating potential problems are some of the best practices to ensuring the longevity of the art piece.