Chubb Group Brings Out ‘Conservation of the Works of Living Artists’ White Paper
The
Released at the annual conference of the
"Based on the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) of 1990, living artists should be consulted before any restoration begins on their works," said
In such a case, Doyle explained that an insured work would be considered a total loss, and an insurer would require that it be destroyed or donated to an organization for conservation research, so that it doesn't resurface on the art market.
"Although insurance may help reimburse the insured for the loss, most collectors would prefer to continue to enjoy owning and displaying the work, not to mention retaining it for potential future appreciation," said Doyle.
According to the white paper, unless artists waived their VARA rights prior to damage, they can elect to:
-Perform a restoration themselves or in collaboration with a conservator;
-Approve the treatment plan and allow conservators to perform the entire restoration; or
-Denounce the work if it has been distorted, mutilated or modified to the extent that they no longer view it as their original piece.
"In the vast majority of cases where an artwork is damaged, the artist is willing to be involved-actively or as consultant-in the conservation," the paper concludes. But in some cases, artists "have disclaimed authorship of a piece due to relatively minor damage."
The paper also notes that since VARA only covers works of visual art, including paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, and certain still photographs, its application to new media is unclear. This category of art includes works created using digital technology, computer graphics and animation, video, robotics, 3-D printing and biotechnology. VARA, as is the case with most insurance, also does not apply to artwork incorporating ephemeral materials, such as insects, leaves and other organic matter, that naturally deteriorate over time.
Both new media, based on technologies that rapidly can become obsolete, and ephemeral materials are creating challenges for conservators. "It becomes more important to involve the artist in such a work's preservation," the paper states.
Members of the
More Information:
http://www.chubb.com/journalists/chubb20265.pdf
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