Digital Prints in Contemporary Art. Conceptual and material study of current technologies and practices from a conservation perspective

Abstract

The advance produced in computers and the development of electro-mechanical procedures for generating and printing images, has turned computer software, photocopiers, laser and inkjet printers, and other machines into tools that artists have been adapting to their working processes, especially since the end of the 20th century.Although in its beginnings this kind of art did not enjoy great prestige, the presence of digital prints in the collections of museums, institutions and private collections has increased significantly in recent decades, and therefore has also did its interest towards it, becoming an important part of the technological and social present and future, as well as significant for cultural heritage. Thus, new challenges arise for conservators in charge of safeguarding this heritage, who need to understand their deterioration forms and conceptual meaning in order to apply new preservation methods adapted to the characteristics of the materials.This thesis is based on three main axes that are fundamental for the conservation of contemporary art: theknowledge of the technologies and materials used for artistic creations, their stability in the face of diverse deterioration factors, and the variety of existing strategies for undertaking conservation and restoration measures according to the inherent conceptual aspects and values associated with the works.This thesis aims to contribute to previous research on digital prints by introducing a process that involves identifying the materials present in the artworks in order to establish overall criteria for conservation, handling and exhibition for this type of work, taking into account the main factors of deterioration that influence their conservation. In this way, the main goal is to establish a research path that brings together the interests and knowledge of digital printing technologies and the materials that constitute them, with the final objective of establishing guidelines for the correct identification, handling, exhibition and storage.