The Cultural Significance of Patina G (11161.2)

Please note these are the 2025 details for this unit
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The Cultural Significance of Patina G
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Arts And Design
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
School Of Design And The Built Environment Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit will explore the cultural assumptions that influence what is defined as patina, dirt or accretions, and how decisions to remove this material impact on both the cultural significance and physical condition of heritage structures and objects. The unit will introduce students to the key methods and practices for removing dirt from a range of materials, and students completing this unit will be able to both articulate the reasons for removing accretions, and to select and perform appropriate cleaning techniques for heritage structures and objects.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Identify and document dirt and accretions on historic objects and structures, and evaluate their impact on cultural significance, physical condition and intended use of the heritage;
2. Apply appropriate techniques for the cleaning of cultural heritage materials, through practical exercises and projects; and
3. Develop and implement effective and sustainable conservation treatment plans for heritage objects and structures.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology


Prerequisites

Students enrolled in ARB002 Bachelor of Arts (Culture and Heritage) must have passed 24 credit points.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2025 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2024 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 05 February 2024 On-campus Dr Alison Wain
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 On-campus Dr Alison Wain
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Students will be expected to prepare for each workshop by reading information PRIOR to attending the workshop. The resources for each week will be listed in the Canvas site.

The following resources are a valuable starting point for reading, and good sources for your assignments:

Science for conservators, Book 2 鈥� Cleaning. London, Crafts Council, 1982.

Availability: UC library

Purchase: Highly recommended

Science for conservators, Book 1 鈥� Materials. London, Crafts Council, 1982.

Availability: UC library

Purchase: Highly recommended.

Conservation Science: Heritage Materials. Cambridge, NBN International, 2007

Availability: UC library

Barbara Kanegsberg and Ed. Kanegsberg ed. Handbook for Critical Cleaning: Cleaning Agents and Systems, (HCC) 2nd ed

Availability: UC library & electronic text.

Note: not specific to conservation but really excellent text.

Rivers, Shayne, Conservation of furniture. London, Routledge, 2012

Availability: UC library

Purchase: Highly recommended

Note: It is focused on furniture, but covers ground relevant to many other areas in a clear and interesting way.

Agnes Timar-Balazsy and Dinah Eastop, Chemical principles of textile conservation Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004, c1998.

Availability: UC library

Purchase: Highly recommended if you have the money.

Note: It is focused on textiles, but covers ground relevant to many other areas in a clear and interesting way.

Richard Wolbers, Cleaning painted surfaces: aqueous methods, London: Archetype, c2000.

Availability: UC library

Gerhard Banik, Paper and water : a guide for conservators. Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann, 2011

Availability: Purchase

Purchase: At your discretion.

Helmut Ruhemann, The cleaning of paintings : problems and potentialities

New York, Hacker Art Books, 1982.

Availability: Purchase

Purchase: At your discretion.

Paper Conservation Catalog (free online resource)

http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/pcc/

The relevant chapters would be:

14. Surface Cleaning

15: Hinge, tape and adhesive removal

16. Washing

19. Bleaching

AIC Conservation wiki (free online resource)

http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Main_Page

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and 麻豆村 of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

Students are expected to participate in lectures, tutorials, group work and site visits to achieve the learning outcomes set out above. These include discussions, presentations and group activities which are designed to achieve the learning outcomes of this unit.

Students are able to complete some practical work on their project objects and treatment trials during class time but completion of the project objects and treatment trials will require substantial work in their own time. Work must be completed in the laboratory unless prior written permission has been arranged with the unit covenor or the laboratory manager to take your object outside the lab. This will normally only be granted in exceptional circumstances, such as taking the object to another institution for analysis.

Students are expected to regularly check their Canvas site announcements and university email for information about readings, session updates and opportunities relevant to the unit.

Required IT skills

Use of standard word processing and spreadsheet software, image processing software, and internet and email functions. Use of the
UCLearn system.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

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