We all needed a change of scene and I thought a few hours in the Wednesday flea market in Anguna might amuse everybody. I think half of the Russian tourist population, most of the ‘crème de la crème’ Anglaise, and most of the local rastas were meandering in this market. Luckily it was such an entertaining mix of goods from all over India and Tibet that all enjoyed it and acquired the silliest objects possible including us.
We called the hospital to find that Davinia is definitely better this morning, the doctor confirms she had food poisoning not a virus and would like to keep her until tonight. As I leave the house with Christopher he is sick and is feeling awful. I have the volunteers working in two different locations today so I drop Christopher in the hospital and pick up Venetia who has not really slept at all, but being a doctor I know she is used to going without sleep.
Today we had a visit from two journalism students Ipsita Kabiraj and Stephen Gershom together with Dipti Kumar, head of broadcast at the National School of Journalism in Bangalore. They came to spend two days with us filming and interviewing the students and volunteers on the work they are doing.
When confronted with artwork that has been severely compromised by previous intervention, we are faced with careful planning and explanation of our own intervention as to what is necessary to preserve the work, and what is actually cosmetic restoration. This dilemma is what all conservators face when deciding what treatments are essential to the preservation and what is actual our arrogance in believing we need to recreate what is not there. Some often use their own initiative thinking recreating what they believe the work of art should look like.
Anna is in charge today in The Archbishop’s Palace with Milena, Eveny and Manu all working on the portraits preparing for the reline and strip line of B4 and B8. All is discussed, prepared for the next day and hopefully if all goes well, Friday my day off we shall be back in Panjim relining. It is good to alternate from Panjim to Rachol as the paintings this year require major treatment and need to settle between procedures. The intense heat and humidity does not help, and we need to step back and discuss and re-examine what we do and how it behaves in this climate every inch of the way.
