Hölling, Hanna B;
Feldman, Jules P;
Magnin, Emilie;
(2024)
Valinda Carroll, Kayla Henry-Griffin, Nylah Byrd, and Ariana Makau of Black Art Conservators on Black objects, performance, and the future of conservation.
In: Hölling, Hanna B and Feldman, Jules P and Magnin, Emilie, (eds.)
Performance: The Ethics and the Politics of Conservation and Care, Volume II.
(pp. 173-185).
Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group: London, UK.
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Abstract
The group Black Art Conservators was founded in 2020 to address racial injustice in conservation. Here, four members of the group—Valinda Carroll, Kayla Henry-Griffin, Nylah Byrd, and Ariana Makau—discuss the significance of conserving Black art and culture, highlighting the lack of resources in many institutions to properly preserve these artifacts. Their experiences as Black conservators allow them to bridge cultural gaps and better understand the context and value of artworks within their communities. The conservators advocate for people-centered conservation, where objects hold emotional and cultural significance, and they recognize the importance of oral traditions and body language in preserving performance art, which may not be adequately captured in written documentation. Regarding biases in conservation, the conservators argue for the inclusion of specialists from communities associated with the items to ensure a more equitable and contextual preservation process. They envision a future in conservation that embraces diverse cultural practices and perspectives, calling for more research and recognition of the work of Black artists, like Elizabeth Catlett, to better understand their contributions to the field. The conservators also discuss conserving emotionally charged artworks and the challenges of preserving objects that may have been used to oppress marginalized groups. They emphasize the need to approach such objects with sensitivity and to involve the community in decision-making processes.
Type: | Book chapter |
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Title: | Valinda Carroll, Kayla Henry-Griffin, Nylah Byrd, and Ariana Makau of Black Art Conservators on Black objects, performance, and the future of conservation |
ISBN-13: | 9781003467809 |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.4324/9781003467809-11 |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003467809-11 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | © The Author(s), 2025. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CC-BY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Dept of History of Art |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203647 |
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