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Conserving Culture

Karl Buchberg talks about art conservation at the Museum of Modern Art

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

Karl Buchberg: I am a senior conservator at the Museum of Modern Art, and my specialty is paper conservation. Art conservation is the care of works of art, from hands-on treatment to climate control and exhibition parameters.

SA: What is your working process? 

KB: There are many different processes. I always start by examining the artwork in the laboratory. First, I look at it very generally: How big it is? Who is the artist? What is the medium? Then I examine it carefully under the microscope to see if there are issues with the work so I can decide whether and how to treat it. Sometimes I might do a surface cleaning, taking dust and grime off the surface. In other cases the treatment might be more involved. 

Karl Buchberg, Senior Conservator, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, conserving Henri Matisse’s The Swimming Pool (1952). Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art.

Conservator Karl Buchberg carefully removes burlap from one of Matisse’s cut-outs.

SA: What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered as a conservator?

KB: You need great patience. And you need a physical fortitude to work on a piece for hours at a time. That can be difficult. 

SA: Do you have advice for students who want to be art conservators?

KB: You need the proper education. You need a background in art history, you need a background in science, and you need to have technical skill with your hands to do the treatments. 

SA: What is surprising about your job? 

KB: I like art so of course I go to other museums. But when I’m at work, I get to see the art up close, without other people, without the mat or the frame. I get to see it like I’m a part of it. It’s not so much a spectator sport as a participatory sport. 

Career Profile: Conservator

Salary:

Conservators earn between $30,000 and $100,000 per year, depending on location and experience. 

 

Education:

Most conservators have a master’s degree or PhD in art conservation.

 

Getting Started:

  • Take art history classes to learn which media and periods in art interest you most.
  • Study chemistry and other sciences.
  • Draw and paint often to develop your technical skill as an artist.

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