Conservators Luk and McCloskey lead workshop in Mongolia

Paintings conservator Cynthia Luk and objects/textile conservator Allison McCloskey recently spent a week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia leading a workshop on restoration techniques for Asian fabric paintings and offering advice on conservation issues. The June trip was part of an ongoing, multi-year exchange program in which WACC is providing training and consultation to Mongolian conservators and cultural institutions. The workshop was held at the Center for Cultural Heritage, home of Mongolia’s chief conservation facility.
    The program is funded by grants from the Trust for Mutual Understanding and the Asian Cultural Council.
    With the aid of a translator, Luk led seven conservators in intensive morning sessions on techniques applicable to Mongolian thangka paintings, religious artworks traditionally done on cotton or silk. Initial classes covered treatment of the water-based paints typical of thangkas, and the final session was given to description and demonstration of cold-lining techniques. Unfortunately, materials needed for an actual lining could not be transported from Williamstown due to flammability issues. Instead, mock-ups prepared at WACC provided the visual lessons needed for the class.
    Addressing some of the preservation needs of the textile elements of thangka paintings, McCloskey demonstrated the consolidation of shattered silk using an ultrasonic mister. Silk is “shattered” when it becomes fragile to the point of disintegration; a fragment treated in Williamstown was offered as an example of the treatment. McCloskey also demonstrated discreet tear mends, and suggested ways to employ sheer fabrics to repair and strengthen damaged textiles. McCloskey also advised on issues related to a thangka damaged by mold.
    There is no formal conservation education available in Mongolia, so conservators rely on workshops to increase their professional training. The workshop emphasized hands-on exercises to give the Asian conservators opportunity to put theory into practice. “The universal thing about conservation,” McCloskey said, “ is that you can talk about something until you’re blue in the face, but demonstrations make everybody start nodding their heads. Conservators are a very visual bunch.”
    Perhaps the biggest contribution Western conservators bring to Mongolia is a depth of education fostered by books and advanced materials. “There is little that separates Mongolian conservators from us, except for our exposure to these materials and literature,” said McCloskey. “They’re limited by their access to these things, but the work they do is very impressive.”
    This is the fourth time WACC has worked with Mongolian institutions. In 2007, Williamstown conservators toured the country’s artistic and historic heritage. A Mongolian delegation visited Williamstown in 2008, and in March, 2009, two conservators from the country were in residence at WACC for a month.
    Luk is especially pleased about the opportunity the exchange offers to forge relationships that go beyond formal training.
    “Generally a conservation grant has one framework,” Luk noted. “It’s not the people as much as the artifact or the site or the preservation.” The current project, by contrast, “is about relationships. The continuity allows you to build on what you’ve taught before.”
    In addition to the work on thangkas, Luk and McCloskey provided extensive observation and consultation on other matters; Luk made recommendations on the treatment of more than nine hundred paintings damaged by fire while in storage at a local museum, while McCloskey advised textile conservators on restoration of three 10 th-to-12th-century burial cloaks. She will conduct tests on samples of the cloak fabric at the WACC analytical lab to determine further action.
    Luk, who coordinates international projects for WACC, will seek funding to continue the Mongolian exchange. She envisions a two-year program covering the spectrum of possible thangka treatments, from traditional techniques by paper conservators and Asian specialists to new collaborations between paintings and textile conservators. Luk also hopes to return to Ulaanbaatar to consult and assist in the restoration of the fire-damaged paintings, many of which are national treasures.