The paper tigress

When Saloni Ghuwalewala went to the US in search of a bachelor's degree, art conservation was the last thing on her mind. Her options ranged...

When Saloni Ghuwalewala went to the US in search of a bachelor8217;s degree, art conservation was the last thing on her mind. Her options ranged from math to environmental studies to geology. And finally, after much soul searching, she settled for a major in art history with a minor in chemistry. quot;A friend who is an art restorer got me initiated in the field. She showed me the difference restoration can make. And that really fascinated me,quot; says Saloni.

But there was still a long way to go between studying art history and becoming a conservator as art conservation is an area of specialisation in itself. quot;You could choose from three streams 8212; objects artefacts, paintings oils-on-canvas or paper. And I decided to study paper,quot; she says. A decision that was influenced by her brief stint in the paper conservation section of the library of Congress in Washington D C . quot;I got an opportunity to work on letters written by George Washington and John Adams. I also handled some fine etching on a Rembrandt and AndyWarhole8217;s silk screen prints,quot; she says.

And her intensive masters programme at Canada8217;s Queen8217;s University gave her the right mix of theoretical and practical knowledge on every aspect of paper. Back in Mumbai, it was time to put her expertise to practise. quot;The first step was to spread awareness about the fact that paper objects may look okay, but they are deteriorating. Nobody here knows that paper can be conserved,quot; she says.

She decided to first get her foot in the door by interacting with people in the art world. Simultaneously, she also worked at the Asiatic Society8217;s conservation laboratory. But she gave it up because she didn8217;t want to focus on books. quot;It is a separate area of specialisation and I preferred to concentrate on book pages, photographs and fine art on paper,quot; she says.

Saloni explains that the life of a paper object depends on several factors. quot;It starts from the manufacturing process 8212; paper that is made from 100 per cent cotton, without using bleach, will last longer. Which isthe reason why ancient manuscripts have survived for so long,quot; she says. A lot depends on how an object is framed as well. quot;Most framers don8217;t use acid-free boards. The yellow discolouration you see on paintings or the little brown spots you see in old books are all caused by acid which gets transferred on the paper,quot; she says. If an object has a cloth backing which is not made from quality material, it could also turn acidic and affect the paper.

Constant contact with light could result in fading and bleaching and a damp wall could damage a work forever. Besides storage, how a paper object is handled is of paramount importance.

But not every piece of paper needs conservation. There is a vast difference between conserving a work of art and restoring it. quot;By restoration we mean something that is done to an object to enhance its aesthetic appeal 8212; like retouching. Conservation encompasses the processes of preservation for the future,quot; she says. The first step towards conserving paper is to clean thesurface and wipe off the dirt embedded in it. quot;Then we test the colour pigments 8212; if they bleed in water it could be fatal,quot; she says. Also while treating the paper she tries to avoid chemicals because that could damage the paper in the long run.

Story continues below this ad

In case of a hole or a minor tear, Saloni uses Japanese tissue paper to patch it up. quot;Then I flatten the object after humidifying it and if necessary I also do in painting,quot; she says. But she refuses to retouch an object because it would amount to interfering with the artist8217;s work. quot;If I have no picture of what the painting looked like before, I can8217;t make up the design. But I can blend it with the background so that it is not distracting to the eye,quot; she says.

Treating any object could take anywhere between three days to a month. quot;I have to do everything manually 8212; there are no machines and there is no assistant I can entrust a task to,quot; she says. And that for her is the greatest creative challenge.