Between these three different types of galleries there are many differences. Commercial galleries are profit based while public don’t charge money but accept donations. Artists run galleries do charge money but they are supported by the artist themselves, and receive no help from the government. All the galleries promote the artists, with commercial and public both advertising the artists through the media, for the artists, while an artist run gallery leaves the promotion and advertisement of an exhibitions up to the artists who are exhibiting their artworks.
2.
In preparing for an exhibition or and/or displaying of artworks the processes which are involved in the preparation include;
- The gallery will come up with ideas about what kind of exhibition that they wish to present to the public.
- The size of the exhibition needs to be considered, as galleries have limited space to hold an exhibition. The artwork must not be crowed, so that the best work can be spaced. For this the running space of each room must be known.
- The Director along with the Curator of the gallery then begins to organise the artwork which will be exhibited in the gallery.
- The Curator will approach the artist and then work with the artist to form ideas and plans for the presentation of the exhibition.
- The Curator along with the artist will make the final selection of artworks to be placed in the exhibition.
- The Curator promotes the gallery exhibition through press releases, advertisements in journals and through other forms of media such as newspapers, television and radio.
- Once the artworks make it to the gallery the Registrar will take care of the artworks and document each artwork by taking detailed condition reports and photographs of the artworks.
- The Registrar is responsible for the transporting, preservation, and conservation of the artwork while it is in the gallery.
- Once the artworks arrive at the gallery they are left in their crates for twenty-four hours to allow for the artworks to adjusts to the climate of the gallery.
- The Registrar is then able to transport the artwork to the desired area of the gallery. With the exhibitions already planned out for each artwork the Registrar along with other gallery workers will set up the exhibition according to these plans made by the Curator.
- The artworks will be hung at 150cm, as this is the standard height for middle eye line.
- When handling the artworks a variety of gloves are worn by the transporters to make sure that the artworks are left mark free.
- The lighting needs to also be taken care of by the Registrar.
- The heating and cooling of the gallery is looked after by the Registrar for the insurance that artworks are not damaged while in the gallery.
- Pest control needs to also be looked after by the Registrar to ensure that no artworks are damaged by pests of any kind.
3.
There are many methods involved in the conservation of artworks. When artworks arrive at a gallery for an exhibition they are left in their crates for a twenty-four hour period so that they can adjust to the climate of the gallery. This allows the artworks to not be damaged in anyway in the transport from gallery to gallery. The climate of the gallery must fall under the international standards for temperature. Humidity must be between 50% ± 5% and the temperature must be between 20°C ± 2°C. These guidelines must be followed by the gallery in order for the artworks not to be damaged. The Registrar is in charge of the care of the artwork while it is at the gallery. They undersee the handling, transportation and storage of the artwork while in the gallery.
Depending on the type of artwork the lighting needs to be chosen to suit that particular piece. Light deteriorates most works of art, and there are three basic categories of light sensitivity of artworks;
* Lux: is the internationally recognised unit of energy.
The Registrar needs to keep the artworks in the best suited lighting for them so that the rate of deterioration of the artwork can be limited.
When transporting the artworks from their crates and around the gallery the proper handling of the artworks needs to be taken into account. When handling any artworks gloves must be worn. There are different types of gloves to wear and it depends on the type of artwork to which glove should be worn. Latex gloves should be worn when handling paper, metal, ceramic and glass artworks. Cotton gloves should be worn when handling paintings and framed works. Cotton doesn’t give the tension needed to hold on to sculptures and therefore cannot be used for all types of artworks. When moving a piece anything bigger than 80cm must have 2 people carry it or a trolley can be used.
For the storage of the artworks after the exhibition they are taken and transported back to their original crates they arrived in. Here they are either left to recuperate before they are either moved from the gallery and sent to another gallery or stored in the gallery’s storage unit. If the artwork is to remain at the gallery then the general rule is that they are allowed to be exhibited for one month and then stored for three months so that the art work doesn’t deteriorate. If the artwork is on paper then the artwork can be displayed for up to three months at a time but then must be stored. Paintings can stay out on display for 3 to 5 years or longer as they do not fade. When storing, artworks can be stored in a number of ways to protect the artwork. 3-D artworks are wrapped in foam and soft materials, and are setup on dots to protect their base, other artworks such as work on paper can be stored in a box-like container. Works on paper which are framed are hung on a mesh frame which measure 2.5 x 2.5m square. Decorative artworks are held on shelves and can be boxed. Sculptures are stored on shelves and can be stored under dust covers. Acid attacks are something that needs to be checked with organic based objects. This is the most damaging and destroying element to organic based objects. Artworks need to be kept in a acid free mount board to make sure no contact with acid occurs.
Pest control is another thing that the gallery needs to have under control. Pests that are prone to galleries include; silverfish, moths, beetles, insects, rats and mice etc. Integrated pest Management is used in most galleries and even museums. It is comprised of the aspects of ‘good housekeeping’. Regular cleaning is undergone daily and a once a month cleaning from front to back in undergone also. The laying out and monitoring of traps is needed to be recorded and the types of infestations that may occur needs to be documented for later reference. Not all pests harm the collections, but they may attract others pests that do.
For the preservation and conservation of artworks these guidelines need to be followed to ensure that there is a limited rate of deterioration in the artworks exhibited at any gallery.
4.
Current art industry issues that are arising from the production, presentation, public perception, promotion and/or marketing of art include the following;
Issue:
* What is art?
Title: Street artist painted into corner.
Paper: Herald Sun.
Date: 2nd July 2004.
Author: Fiona Hudson - City Editor.
Amal Laala is protesting against corporate greed. Her form of protest is swallowing milk and food dye then vomiting on banks and streets. Should this be accepted? Should Laala face fines? Is this a form of art? Is the big question.
Laala has been vomiting on bank atms and in street corners as a form of protest. She vomits up milk and food dye then leaves her mess hopping that passersby would understand her message, even though she makes no attempt to explain it. Customers find it very unpleasant and it has even posed as a safety hazard and her behaviour is seen to be offensive by many. Is it art or is it just a stunt made by an outraged artist?
Laala’s stunts don’t sit very well with city council staff and bank representatives, who respect a persons artistic right to expression, but they would also hope that the same respect would be shown to them, the customers and the cleaning staff who are left to clean up after her mess. Some people are calling it art and others are just outraged themselves at the sight of one of Laala’s protests. Laala feels it to be one way of making a statement against corporate greed.
I believe that Laala’s work is not art. I don’t care if she is a former RMIT art graduate, her form of protesting isn’t art to me. Art is defined as; producing something beautiful, by paining or drawing including music and writing. An artist is defined as; a person who produces works of art. I don’t believe Laala to have produced anything beautiful. By vomiting on other peoples properties I believe that she isn’t an artist forfeiting her right to be called an artist because she is vandalizing someone else’s property. She may be protesting but her lack of attempts to have her message understood leaves me to believe that all she is doing is pulling stunts for the sake of making them. If she doesn’t wish to inform passersby of her message then there is no point to her protest as no one can understand what her vomit is meant to mean.
Laala’s work I don’t believe is classified as art. The only time that I believe that it could be classified as a form of art is if Laala was to in her own home or studio, vomit on canvas or something other than the bank atms and street corners like she has been.
Title: Hogging the bed.
Paper: Herald Sun.
Date: 6th June 2004.
Author: Weird World.
Cosimo Cavallaro’s art piece ‘Absolute Pressed Ham’ is under much question as like the Amal Laala protest. Is placing a pile of 115kg of pork on a bed art? Again many believe that this isn’t art, that it is just something thrown together and hey presto it’s not an artwork. Before his stunt Cavallaro said "I have to do it, or else the idea is like a ball and chain, weighing me down". His previous art works include a 2002 stunt where he covered an entire house with 10,000 pounds of cheese.
I believe Cavallaro’s work to also not be art. This art piece doesn’t represent and shown any expression and meaning. There is nothing to show what the artist was feeling and nothing to generate any feelings from the piece itself except that the question of how can this be art? is raised in the viewers mind. The idea that he has made more then one of these silly excuses for art is beyond me. While some people may call his work a form of art I still feel that the definition of art isn’t being justified by Cavallaro’s work, or by Laala’s.
