CMAS Archive Conservator Sarah Volter working on signed prints by Barbara Hepworth and Sonia Delauney

I’m sure that although many in the arts sector will have heard of and even worked with conservators there may still be a little confusion regarding the relevance of a conservator writing for an arts blog.

I believe conservators and artists hold a common interest in materials, the secrets they hold and the stories they can tell.

A great many specialisms exist within conservation rooted in the materials from which items are produced, manufactured or formed: conservators of paintings, paper, stone, ceramic, metal, natural history, photography and textiles to name but a few.

Each of these specialisms shares a set of common standards, principles and a solid scientific knowledge base that may not only be of benefit, but also of creative interest to artists.

Inherent to conservation is an understanding of materials, the processes of…