THE permanent collection at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery has been put in the spotlight, all in the name of preservation.
Over the past two weeks Simone Ewenson, a Deakin University student, has photographed every painting in the 350-strong collection, assisted by gallery technician Don Witney.
All the images are to be stored on a hard drive and kept safely at the gallery.
Ms Ewenson and Mr Witney have painstakingly removed every piece from the gallery’s storage area, as well as the works on display at the Swan Hill Rural City Council offices.
The work is photographed twice, then returned.
The images will form a comprehensive catalogue which will give the gallery a much better handle on their collection and assist gallery director Ian Tully with curating exhibitions.
“We’re not just documenting the works – we check the condition of all the works and cross check the information we have,” she said.
“Technology has come so far, we’re really able to capture the colour and see if works are fading.
“There’s often years and years and years between artworks getting a gig.
“Ideally you want a collection that’s used.”
Ms Ewenson, who is studying her Masters in heritage and museum studies, said it was rewarding to work on updating Swan Hill’s art database.
“You feel as if you’re looking after something that will hopefully be around for a long time to come,” Ms Ewenson said.
“The more care they receive now, the longer they will be around.”
For more on this story pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (November 27).
