Article: Nephele System for Artwork Restoration (2008)

Title: The Material Description and Classification in Nephele System for Artwork Restoration
Author: Miroslav Beneš, Barbara Zitová, J. Hradilová, David Hradil
Reference: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia , M. Ioannides, A. Addison, A. Georgopoulos, L. Kalisperis (eds.), VSMM International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia, Limassol, CY, 2008
DOI: 20.10.2008-25.10.2008
Link: http://utia.cas.cz/... (pdf, 298 Kb)

Abstract:

We present a comprehensive information system for processing and archiving material analyses data produced during art restoration process - Nephele. The Nephele is a database system extended with image analyzing modules - image registration, segmentation, and object description and classification - designed for archiving and working with material analyses reports. The aim of the material analyses of paintings is to identify inorganic and organic compounds using microanalytical methods, and to describe painting layers and their morphology. Archiving all these data, Nephele can act as a knowledge base and an expert system for future advanced analyses. Image-type data of the archived reports are pre-processed, analyzed, and described for further evaluation. Moreover, next to the classical text-query database search Nephele supports report retrieval based on the similarity of the sample image to the archived image data, which can notably facilitate selection of relevant records to the current restoration case. In the near future, the Nephele system will be extended by the module for automatic painting material classification, based on neural network architecture and newly designed material taxonomy using object descriptors, capturing the layers morphology, their homogeneity or heterogeneity, and their color properties.

Article: Distinguishing Morrisseau Paintings and the Imitations (2009)

Title: Characterizing Elegance of Curves Computationally for Distinguishing Morrisseau Paintings and the Imitations
Author: Lei Yao, Jia Li and James Z. Wang
Reference: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), Special Session on Cultural Heritage, 4 pages, 2009.
Link: http://stanford.edu/... (PDF, 1.1 Mb)

Abstract:

Computerized analysis of paintings has recently gained interest. The rapid technological advancements and the expanding interdisciplinary collaboration present us a promising prospect of computer-assisted authentication. We focus on the characterization of curve elegance. Specifically, we propose measures of curve steadiness and neighborhood coherence from brushstrokes. The technique has been applied to the paintings of renowned aboriginal Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau. Through computerized analysis of his authentic works and the imitations, it is revealed that the curves in his authentic paintings exhibit his commanding painting skills. The smooth and steady flow of the curves show less hesitancy of the artist than the authors of counterfeit works. The tangent angles tend to be more consistent along curves in the authentic paintings than in the imitations.

Article: Digital Imagery of Historical Materials (2006)

Title: Machine Annotation and Retrieval for Digital Imagery of Historical Materials
Author: James Z. Wang, Kurt Grieb, Ya Zhang, Ching-chih Chen, Yixin Chen and Jia Li
Reference: International Journal on Digital Libraries, Special Issue on Multimedia Contents and Management in Digital Libraries, vol. 6, no. 1, pp 18-29, Springer-Verlag, 2006
Link: http://stanford.edu/... (PDF, 868 Kb)

Abstract:

Annotating digital imagery of historical materials for the purpose of computer-based retrieval is a labor-intensive task for many historians and digital collection managers. We have explored the possibilities of automated annotation and retrieval of images from collections of art and cultural images. In this paper, we introduce the application of the ALIP (Automatic Linguistic Indexing of Pictures) system, developed at Penn State, to the problem of machine-assisted annotation of images of historical materials. The ALIP system learns the expertise of a human annotator based on a small collection of annotated representative images. The learned knowledge about the domain-specific concepts is stored as a dictionary of statistical models in a computer-based knowledge base. When an un-annotated image is presented to ALIP, the system computes the statistical likelihood of the image resembling each of the learned statistical models and the best concept is selected to annotate the image. Experimental results, obtained using the Emperor image collection of the {\it Chinese Memory Net} project, are reported and discussed. The system has been trained using subsets of images and metadata from the Emperor collection. Finally, we introduce an integration of wavelet-based annotation and wavelet-based progressive displaying of very high resolution copyright-protected images.

Recording: Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths (2009)

Title: Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths
File format: mp3
Link: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/... (mp3)

Description:

The Royal Academy of Arts held a two-day symposium in September 2009, following the publication of the book 'Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths', edited by Dr Alison Bracker and Alison Richmond.

Table of contents:
Day 1, Session 1: Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths
Chair: Laura Drysdale

The Adolescence of the Profession, Jonathan Ashley-Smith (mp3, 9.1 MB)

You are not being objective. Conservation as an act of taste, Salvador Muñoz Viñas (mp3, 9.5 MB)

When things go wrong: Sharing experiences for collective learning, Sarah Maisey (mp3, 9.4 MB)

Conservation fads, fashion and flummery: An incontrovertible truth? Andy Calver (mp3, 14.2 MB)

Chaired panel discussion with Laura Drysdale (Chair), Jonathan Ashley-Smith, Salvador Muñoz Viñas, Sarah Maisey, and Andy Calver (mp3, 16.7 MB)


Day 1, Session 2: Making Meaning: Theories and philosophies of conservation ethics

A material culture analysis of conservation principles, Dinah Eastop (mp3, 9.3 MB)

The painting as material interface between artist and beholder: Restoration philosophy, perception and neuroscience, Helen Glanville (mp3, 11.9 MB)

Dreaming of a universal approach: Brandi's Theory of Restoration and the conservation of contemporary art, Sebastiano Barassi (mp3, 10.2 MB)

Conservation as meaning-making in seventeenth-century Dutch art, Ari Tanhuanpää (mp3, 14.3 MB)

Chaired Panel discussion with Jonathan Rée (Chair), Dinah Eastop, Helen Glanville, Sebastiano Barassi, and Ari Tanhuanpää (mp3, 17.8 MB)


Day 2, Session 1: Social Memory: Tangible and Intangible Heritage

Among the Dead and their Possessions: A conservator’s role in the death, life, and afterlife of human remains and their associated objects, Sanchita Balachandran (mp3, 14.0 MB)

Cultural heritage Institutions and the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage in a changing world – Case study in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sudha Srestha (mp3, 5.8 MB)

From conservation to controversy? The intangible legacy of Calton Hill, Kirsten McKee (mp3, 9.1 MB)

Remembering the past: The role of social memory in the restoration of damaged paintings, Kim Muir (mp3, 9.9 MB)

Chaired Panel discussion with Simon Cane (Chair), Sanchita Balachandran, Sudha Srestha, Kirsten McKee, and Kim Muir (mp3, 14.2 MB)


Day 2, Session 2: Contested Values: Historic Buildings, Monuments and World Heritage Sites

Haveli – Indian courtyard House, Jhilmil Kishore (mp3, 8.7 MB)

Reconsidering conservation in response to the contested values of built heritage: Case studies in Taiwan in 2000s, Hsien-yang Tseng (mp3, 11.6 MB)

Cardross Seminary: Modernity, decay & ruin, Diane Watters (mp3, 9.6 MB)

Historic context and cultural content – A case study of Historic Cairo, Ehab Kamel (mp3, 11.4 MB)

Chaired Panel Discussion with Renée Tobe (Chair), Jhilmil Kishore, Hsien-yang Tseng, Diane Watters, and Ehab Kamel (mp3, 17.5 MB)


Day 2, Session 3: The Neues Museum Restoration by David Chipperfield Architects

Panel discussion with David Chipperfield CBE RA, Julian Harrap, and Kate Goodwin (mp3, 29.6 MB)

Article: Conservation in Crisis (2010)

Title: Conservation in Crisis - Communicating the value of what we do
Authors: A conversation between Anna Somers Cocks and Samuel Jones
Publisher: The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
Pages: 18
Year: 2010
Link: http://www.iiconservation.org/... (pdf, 1.3 Mb)

Description:

A discussion between Anna Somers Cocks, Founder and Editorial Director of The Art Newspaper and Samuel Jones of DEMOS and co-author of It's A Material World: Carting for the Public Realm, on the looming crisis in the field of conservation.
For this event the IIC wanted to step back a bit and look at the field of heritage conservation in a far more generalised way than is usual and explore why the profession appears to be especially susceptible to cutbacks and budget reductions during times of economic downturn, such as the one that is being experienced worldwide at the moment. Some would say that the profession of conservation lacks sufficient influence due to its small size relative to other fields of endeavour. Others would say that we are insular and have not made sufficient effort to reach out to other stakeholders in heritage in order to inform them of the value of what we do. Still others would say that we have been unwilling to involve others in our decision making and hence they lack both the understanding and investment that leads to support. Or is it a combination of these and other reasons?