Current Projects

Editor:

Abigail Uhteg is a Postgraduate student in the Conservation of Books and Library Materials and an MA candidate in Conservation Studies, where she is researching the paper degradation and 18th century French bookbinding. Prior to this she worked for two years as a technician in the book conservation lab at Columbia University and on a freelance basis as a conservator at Paper Dragon Books, both in New York City, and as an intern at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Abigail has a BFA in Printmaking and Art History with a concentration in Book Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is the founder of this blog.

Contributors:

Brittany Cox is a postgraduate student in the Conservation of Clocks and Related Dynamic Objects Programme and a candidate for an MA in Conservation Studies at West Dean College. As a scholar of fine mechanics and antiquarian horology she specialises in automata and mechanical music. Prior to attending West Dean she worked as a jeweller for eight years and earned three international watchmaking certifications and a BA in Metaphysics and Epistemology. A hobby botanist and multimedia artist, her work ranges from mechanical to botanical life.

Scarlett Hutchin is a Postgraduate student in Conservation of Metalwork, and will complete an MA in Conservation Studies at West Dean in September 2012.  Prior to this she has studied 3D design, ceramics, textiles, silversmithing and jewellery, blacksmithing, fabrication and welding.  Most recently she has worked as a self employed jeweller and a wildlife tour guide.  She teaches jewellery making and lectures undergraduate students on the principles of metalwork conservation.

Remco Ockhuijsen is studying for a professional development diploma in Furniture Conservation (and related objects). Prior to this he worked at Conservation Letterfrack in the Republic of Ireland, where he conserved everything from solid oak chests to flower marquetry. He completed an MBO in Furniture Making and Restoration at Amsterdam HMC. As part of his elementary training he worked for four years under a frame maker and then with a furniture maker. These formative years allowed him to master the basic functional elements of construction and design. This allows him to work quickly and accurately in restoration and conservation of complex and simple furniture and objects.

Tiago Oliveira is a Postgraduate student in the Conservation of Ceramics and Related Materials and is pursuing an MA in Conservation Studies. He has been a conservator since 2006 when he finished the BA in Art, Conservation and Restoration at the Portuguese Catholic University. Tiago has worked as a sculpture and objects conservator for the private and public sector in Portugal. His experience includes the conservation of gilded altarpieces, wooden and clay sculptures, paintings, and, more recently, a wide range of ceramics. This year he begins treating stone & glass.

Laurie Price is a Graduate student in Conservation of Metalwork and hopes to go on to complete the MA in Conservation Studies at West Dean over the next two years. She has just completed a BA degree in Three Dimensional Design, starting with the mediums of ceramics, glass and metals and developing a fondness for metalwork. In particular, Laurie likes blacksmithing and forge work, inspired by botanical forms discovered whilst working for the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley gardens. Prior to starting at West Dean she has had no experience of dealing with metal conservation.

Tomoyuki Uemori is a Postgraduate student in the Conservation of Furniture and related objects. He earned a Graduate Diploma in the same at West Dean College in 2011, earning the BADA Harold Davies Prize, and prior to that completed a Wood Design course at Musashino Art University. He thinks when a thing is designed well, it is assumed that it can be fixed. Well-designed things are naturally used for a long time. This is the reason why Tomoyuki came to England; he wanted to study the culture of conservation and restoration. And he wants to use this knowledge for making and restoring things that match the age of today. He believes that there is something important for Japan hiding in this culture.

Mariko Watanabe is a Graduate student in the Conservation of Books and Library Materials and hopes to continue to complete the MA in Conservation Studies at West Dean College in September 2013. Prior to this she worked for one year as an assistant conservator at Book and Archive Conservation Services, a privately-run conservation studio in Edinburgh, and as a volunteer paper conservator on the Carmichael-Watson project at the Edinburgh University Library conservation studio. While she was in Edinburgh, she regularly took private bookbinding lessons. Mariko has BA and MA degrees in Greek Classics from the International Christian University, Tokyo, and MSc degrees in Book History from the University of Edinburgh. She intends to be a bridge between Western culture and the one in the area where she comes from in Japan for the further development of conservation.