To work as an art restorer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in fine art, studio art, or a related field, with a focus on a specific area of art. You’ll also need advanced training in topics like handling textiles and restoring paintings. This type of work frequently necessitates an apprenticeship after graduation in order to gain practical experience in the workplace. An art restorer can work for museums, galleries, and private collectors once they have completed their training.
The terms “art restorer” and “art conservator” are frequently used interchangeably by the general public. Both of these jobs entail preserving and caring for art, but they are very different. Art restorers use a variety of techniques to repair art after it has been damaged or neglected, with the goal of restoring it to its original state. Art conservators want to preserve artwork with as little interference as possible. They usually have advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctorate degrees, and they take into account the art’s cultural history and context when working to prevent further damage and keep the art as safe as possible, rather than necessarily repairing it. When an art restorer comes across a statue with missing limbs, for example, new limbs may be fabricated. The art conservator would stabilize the piece while preserving the damage and discussing the cultural and historical significance of the missing limbs.
An artisan’s training is required for someone who wants to work as an art restorer. Art schools, as well as some colleges and universities, offer the training that art restorers require. Working with historic art pieces, repairing damage to art, using materials similar to those used when the art was created, and exploring themes and symbols used in art are all examples of this. People frequently research the cultures surrounding the art they are interested in, as this information can be useful when restoring damaged artworks; for example, understanding how people used color can aid in accurate restoration.
People can specialize in areas such as painting, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, and so on, and develop advanced preservation and restoration skills. Before graduating, anyone interested in becoming an art restorer should look for internships in museums and galleries to gain experience handling and working with art. This experience can be used in resumes to apply for restoration positions and internships after a prospective art restorer graduates from college.
To work as an art restorer, you must have artistic ability. People must be able to handle art, replicate the techniques used by the original artist, and make repairs as unobtrusively as possible in addition to understanding the cultural, historical, and social context of art in order to restore it as accurately as possible. Repairs can significantly affect the value of artwork, and a clumsy restoration can result in irreversible damage; someone interested in becoming an art restorer usually enjoys both creating and repairing art.