FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > The Beauty of Bacteria: New Techniques in Art Preservation
S -- good that you will distinguish between restoration and conservation. You can close the document with how microbes can be useful in both settings. Can we use microbes for other uses, like dating, location, and determining authenticity? Can we also see that microbes might change the pigment hues over time?
Fun project, for you. I will enjoy reading this too.
Fun project, for you. I will enjoy reading this too.
May 7, 2015 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
Microbiology has played a key role in the advancement industry, agriculture, and medicine in the past century. Likewise, the tools of microbiology also have considerable potential for the conservation of cultural heritage through works of art. These new technologies have the potential to save art from otherwise irreversible damage, and they allow future generations to see masterpieces as their creators intended. Important cultural landmarks such as the Church of Santos Juanes in Spain and the frescoes of the Pisa Cemetery in Italy have been restored with the help of microbes. This article will compile many notable findings in the emerging field of microbial art restoration, and highlight case studies where bacteria have been successfully used to restore damaged art to pristine conditions. Some applications this article will explore include the use of quorum sensing to characterize infestations on art, antimicrobial pigments in paint, and preventative spores that can prevent subsequent infections on a piece of art. Furthermore, the potential future of research developments in microbial art restoration will also be discussed. Art restoration is considered a controversial field to many who argue against the alteration of a work of art, so the distinct difference between art conservation and art restoration will be addressed in this article as well.
Reader Profile: I imagine a reader who may not agree with the process of art restoration, and is skeptical about how bacteria that usually are the cause of art deterioration can be used to restore works of art.
Reader Response: I can appreciate how innovative these techniques are that use something I’ve always considered detrimental to art to actually restore it, however I don’t agree with the process of restoring art in general. I believe that the aging process of a painting is just as important as the paint itself, and by altering the painting it detracts from the piece’s original artistic identity.