Conservation / restoration
Art conservationists have the cultural heritage of entire nations in their hands. Where their curator colleagues have the care of the exhibition ‘experience’ at the core of their work, conservators have the care of each individual artefact at the core of theirs. Individual conservators may focus on the care of individual objects, such as a rare manuscript; particular types of objects, for example stained glass windows, murals, floors; or the entire contents of a historic building, for example cathedrals or National Trust properties. This is a highly specialised and competitive field, requiring not only an artistic sense but also scientific knowledge, manual dexterity (given the intricacy of the work), attention to detail and huge patience!
The conditions
Most graduates joining this field from art school go into heritage organisations on an employed basis, for example, National Trust, galleries and museums. Their working life will be on a more regular, nine-to-five basis. Unlike other fields of art and design, in which freelancing is often a way to get into a profession, freelancing in this field is more of an option as a specialist adviser or consultant later in your career, once you’ve built your skills and a reputation in a particular field.
The upside: unlike their commercial counterparts, restoration artists have the relative luxury of time to concentrate on this painstaking work.
The downside: your work, though often seen by the public, is rarely noted. Restorers and conservators are the unsung heroes of the art world.
