Treatment

Conservation treatments are proposed where appropriate following in person assessment of the artwork. Treatments commonly undertaken address issues such as creasing, cockling and planar distortion; tears and losses; scratches and other mechanical damages; discolouration; the presence of adhesives and tapes.

The overall aim of treatment and the purpose of each stage of treatment is explained within a written treatment proposal, emailed to client for approval ahead of any treatment being undertaken. 

The focus of treatment can be to stabilise the condition of the work (i.e. slowing down or halting on-going deterioration) or to address visually distracting aspects. Often treatment focuses on a combination of concerns, and a treatment to stabilise an artwork may also improve its appearance.

The principle of minimal intervention underlies our approach to conservation treatments, and where possible we use techniques that are fully or partially reversible.

Once agreed, we typically carry out conservation treatments in our Leyton studio. Specific treatments may be undertaken on-site.

We aim to accommodate deadlines where possible, and timeframes are led by the requirements of specific treatment as well as the studio schedule.

As a guide, we tend to be able to complete treatment within 4-6 weeks