ABSTRACT
In this book, the development of conservation science for art conservation and subsequent innovations has been examined based on the real and perceived needs of conservators and their codes of ethics. However, as was discussed in Chapter 1, the term innovation only means new. That many technological innovations in art conservation are good goes without saying, but that does not mean that all innovations are good, nor does it mean that it is good to continue using them or improving on them. In Chapters 2–5, specific innovations have been examined related to the concept of “original appearance.” These include color science, surface properties, and digital rendering and reproduction. The technical reviews were juxtaposed with discussions about perception and what a viewer of a work of art sees and perceives using these technologies. In this chapter, the role and effect of the precision color and digital imaging technology on art conservation will first be critically examined in light of the vagaries and subjectivity of the concept of original appearance and of what viewers actually see and perceive in works of art. The discussion then briefly returns to technological innovations in other scientific fields in art conservation. Finally, the debate is opened as to where technological innovation in art conservation should be going, and, above all, what role it plays in answering the questions of what it is that heritage professionals are telling the public to preserve, for whom, and for how long.
