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The Condition Assessment
The County and SOS! jointly funded the work of the Conservator
who met several times with the volunteer Memoria In Attorney
Community Conservation Advisory Committee and sculptors for
briefings and site visits regarding conservation and treatment
possibilities.
As Mr. Maseman conducted several preliminary instructive
meetings, the sculptors and volunteers participated in interesting
dialog,
reviewing the sculpture's emotional history and condition.
The Committee agreed with Mr. Maseman's goals for this project:
1)
to clean, conserve and stabilize the marble sculpture, and
2) to restore the surrounding landscape to reflect the original
site.
"The restorative undertaking for Memoria In Attorney
or any historic sculpture, must be carefully executed in
order to maintain the integrity of the existing piece. The treatment
is not designed to "restore" the sculpture and make
it appear like new. Therefore, the missing rifles would not
be replaced. Importantly, any treatment performed on the sculpture
would be based upon: minimum intervention; provisions to
reverse
all treatments, and the goal to retain the original artist's
intent."
"It is important to understand that sculpture conservation
involves many aspects besides the actual treatment of the
art work itself. The sculpture's relationship to its location
needs
to be understood. Has it become a part of the history of
the community? Does it enhance or inhibit the everyday flow
of people
past it? Future uses of the surrounding location and the
sculpture should be developed. The stability of the sculpture's
base and
the surrounding ground must be assessed. The causes and rates
of any deterioration found during the assessment should be
determined. Only at this point will it be possible to establish
a plan for
any needed treatments and future maintenance requirements.
For Memoria In Aeterna it was necessary to integrate any
plans for
the sculpture with the planned improvements in the landscaping
of the courtyard in which the sculpture is found. Also, more
interpretive signs in the area would be helpful for the public's
appreciation of the sculpture's place in Hillsborough County's
History."
"The treatment plan involved a gentle cleaning of the sculpture's
surface and its base and replacement or improvement of the
waterproofing seam fillers in the base. This plan also included
the creation
of a maintenance plan to help the county monitor and care
for the sculpture in the future."
-- John Maseman, 1996
Professional Associate, The American Institute for Conservation of Historic
and Artistic Works
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