on right: Mark Slattery
On a recent trip to London I contacted Mark Slattery of the National Gallery to see if he had time for a visit and would be willing to answer a few questions for something I was thinking of putting together for PACCIN. Mark is a Senior Art Handler at the National Gallery and someone who I had met at the PACCIN Conference in Williamstown, MA a few years back. At the conference in Williamstown, Mark gave a presentation on the handling equipment that has been specifically developed by him and his colleagues at the National Gallery. My questions to Mark, however, were more general in nature and were more about structure and responsibility. Mark was kind enough to spend the better part of a day showing me around and talking to me. Between my visit with Mark and spending time with the collection, the day was a fantastic experience that I am grateful to have had. My thanks to both Mark and his supervisor, Patrick O’Sullivan, who is the Head of Art Handling and spent some time talking to me early on in the day.
Dialogue (conducted via email prior to, and post visit)
Do art handling technicians fall under a larger departmental umbrella at the National Gallery and if so can you briefly describe the structure? At the PACCIN Conference in Williamstown, MA a few years back it seemed that there was a large show of hands when asked this question that fell under either Registration or Conservation, and a smaller number under Curatorial. At my museum for instance, the larger umbrella is Exhibitions and Collections under which falls Registration, Conservation, and Design, with Art Handling falling under Registration. We fall under the Collections side of this tree. The museum's Mount Maker falls under Conservation as does a Conservation Technician who deals with matting and framing. The museum’s cabinet maker falls under Design, etc. It always interests me how other museums are organized in this regard.
K.C.
The Art Handling Department is under the umbrella of the Conservation Department. This has always been the case in my twenty years here. My boss is answerable to the Director of Conservation. It has always been seen as a priority that our activities come directly under the authority of the Collection specialists. The emphasis placed on preventative conservation practise is informed directly through our close co-operation with colleagues in the Conservation Department.
The Registrars have been re-organised under Exhibitions where previously they were under Conservation. This has occurred because the intermediate post of Collection Manager has been abolished under recent rationalisation. In fact, we reported to the Head of Collections as he was our local senior manager reporting to the Director of Conservation, so there has been some moving of the tectonic plates here of late.
M.S.
What kind of structure exists within the Art Handling staff and do you feel like there is a sufficient hierarchy to provide a career path and retain staff?
K.C.
The internal structure of Art Handling has been a torturous path over the past twenty years. When I joined there were three grades of art handler. Head (Admin), Head of Team (Chief Tech), then Art Handler. We have sought to stratify the team more to recognise the fact that responsibilities constantly shift across the team according to operational requirements and it proved impractical to ask junior technicians to take on tasks that required a close level of supervision and decision making in the absence of managers.
We now have:-
Head of Art Handling.
Senior Art Handling Technician x 2.
Departmental Administrator x 1.
Supervisory Art Handling Technician x 2.
Art Handler x 6
This structure allows us to assemble semi-autonomous teams allowing us to work on complex installation tasks over several areas at once, Collection and Exhibitions for example. This maximises the focus of the Team across the institution.
M.S.
At some of the larger U.S. museums I know the Art Handling staffs have very specific tasks and even perhaps collections they might work with exclusively (Early European, Decorative Arts, Medieval, etc.), or perhaps are either packing, or installation specialists. I am with a medium sized museum, with an encyclopedic collection and the art handling staff is involved in all aspects of collections and exhibitions. Can you comment on the specific duties of the art handling technicians at the National Gallery?
K.C.
The National Gallery is exclusively a paintings based collection. Our technicians are therefore engaged in all aspects of the logistics of those paintings, including all loans in and out of the Gallery. We ask our technicians to perform over all aspects of the activities of the department. This includes; display of works throughout the collection, installation of special exhibitions, storage operations, removal and re-fitting of works from their frames or mounts for photography or conservation purposes and packing and crating for shipping.
M.S.
If your position is similar to my own and most of my colleagues in the U.S., there is not much that is really mundane or terribly routine about our jobs (which to me is most often a good thing if you have the ability to readily adapt to change). There are, however, some built in routines as we go about our day, and those almost always involve reviewing our schedule, constant communication with the museum's Registration staff to coordinate art movements, installations, packing, etc. During times when we aren’t involved in a special exhibition installation we try to do routine gallery maintenance (cleaning decks around art, frames, etc.) at least twice a week. Can you describe a typical day for you and the art handling staff at the National Gallery?
K.C.
The day begins for us at 08.00 hrs. Because the Gallery is open to the public seven days, we have only two hours per day to complete minor re-hangs in public spaces. Beyond 10.00 hrs, rooms that require more work will be closed to the public whilst we work on.
From 10.00 hrs onwards, loans in and out of the Gallery are prioritised. This typically revolves around attending to the packing or unpacking of works, working alongside Registrars, Conservators and nominated couriers. In addition to these core activities, we concern ourselves with the maintenance of the workshop areas, the picture stores and the re-supply of materials and equipment and re-hanging in the secondary collection gallery which is only open to the public on a limited basis.
M.S.
Do you feel like there is a balance in the time that is spent addressing exhibitions and collections or are there specific staffing dedicated to both?
K.C.
The National Gallery hosts three main temporary exhibitions per year and up to a three smaller temporary exhibitions in the secondary exhibition spaces. The cycle of installing and de-installing these shows takes up a good deal of our time on a regular basis throughout the year.
I would say in the main we expend a more concentrated effort on the exhibition side of the Gallery. But during the past two years, a good deal of systematic re-hanging on a large scale has occurred within the Collection. This has come about due to an extended and on-going programme of re-furbishing and re-lighting many of the gallery spaces. All staff works on both the collection and exhibitions. With the possible exception of the respective Senior Technicians, one for Collections and the other for Exhibitions, but even they are interchangeable if necessary as they have both plenty of experience of each other’s remits.
M.S.
Saint Louis Art Museum prep staff, from left to right: John Bauer; Chris Moreland (Senior Preparator); Jake Bloomer; Nathan Poetzscher; Brian Koelz (Lead Preparator); Kurt Christian (Head Preparator); Jason Gray; seated: Nicole Stevens; Joshua Meyer (Collections Care Technician)
For anyone who isn’t aware of some of the very specific equipment that you and your institution have designed to assist you in art movement and installation, it is truly impressive. At the conference in Williamstown I mentioned earlier, you spoke about this equipment and the impetus for its design which as I remember, seemed largely based on U. K. safety regulations. Can you talk about some of the equipment and of course correct me if my memory is faulty?
K.C.
The health and safety aspects that caused us to have to fully revise our practice came from European Union legislation, to which the UK is subject as a member state. This legislation covered ‘manual lifting’ and ‘working at height’. For years prior to this legislation coming in we had been looking at ways we could lessen the heavy lifting aspect of some of the routine moves within the Collection. We had some ‘legacy’ equipment which the department had been using since before anyone could remember. The limitation of the lifting equipment was obvious to anyone who came to use it. There was nothing ‘joined-up’ about how this equipment worked with the type of exhibits we were handling. These shortcomings prescribed the way in which we approached certain tasks. The default position seemed always to grab hold of the object and physically lift it to overcome the shortcomings of the equipment. Clearly, a different approach was desirable. We used the imposition of the new legislation to re-define how we approached many of the lifting tasks we perform on a regular basis.
The first piece of equipment to come under the microscope was the humble Picture Cart. We had two that had been reasonably well put together using proper carpentry techniques. After early experiments retro-fitting these with tool drawers and better wheels, we decided to start from scratch with a lightweight steel design. This gave us an opportunity to redefine what we wanted from a cart. Something that was strong, stable, adaptable and capable of securely and safely incorporating tool drawers at each end, away from the work being carried on the cart. We now have four standard carts of a similar design, the latest of which is fabricated from aluminum instead of steel. It’s a lot lighter to push about and we don’t seem to have sacrificed any of the structural strength of the basic steel model. Our method of developing this equipment has been essentially evolutionary, refining the design through experience of using it in service. Sometimes all that is required is a retro-fit to achieve the desired improvement, other times the change is generational.
After the standard picture cart came the stacker trolley which is a cart that integrates with a manual hydraulic stacker truck. It embodies some of the features of the standard cart but lacks the tool trays and is extendable not only vertically but horizontally too to accommodate the biggest range of picture sizes. This allows us to take the cart to the wall then lift it up to the hanging position complete with picture. This device removes the need to support the weight of any work whilst moving it into position for display. Any manual lifting that is required takes place at floor level whilst loading or unloading the cart.
One of the most back-breaking routines any art handling team will go through on a regular basis is the flatting of picture crates in order to load and unpack them. We have made this task a lot easier through the development of our case roller. The development of which has been covered in a previous item published on the PACCIN website. In brief, it is a tilting table with a toe at one end (imagine a large sack barrow). The table moves through an arc from vertical to flat via a radiused framework at the bottom end. This alleviates much of the effort required to support the weight of the case and renders the operation one that can be safely managed by fewer staff with less effort and risk to operator.
M.S
Do you or your staff travel with art as couriers?
K.C.
Art handlers travel as couriers with loans both domestically and internationally.
M.S.
In my current and previous position and institution, I feel fortunate in having had the opportunity to travel with art both within the U.S. and abroad. I always feel that I encounter doppelgangers of current or former colleagues wherever I am which I find interesting and often amusing. There seems to be real similarities in people who find themselves in our positions no matter where I have been in the world, and they are most often people who are artists whether that is musicians, painters, sculptors, etc. I have also worked around people who are just fine craftsman that are drawn to the arts with no real fine arts background but are excellent technicians. Is your own experience similar?
K.C.
In my experience, our technicians are drawn from similar backgrounds to others I have met in the US. They are predominantly visual artists or have some kind of background in the arts, either through previous employment or through study. I listened with interest to your assertion that certain types of museum staff members are readily identifiable either side of the Atlantic and even further afield.
M.S.
Do you and your staff work a regular schedule (in the U.S. it is typically an 8 hour day) and do you have to work late often?
K.C.
In London we work nine hours including one hour for lunch. Most of the team take advantage of a compressed working week, working 08.00 – 18.30 for three days and one 08.00 – 16.30 day. This permits us to take the fifth day as a non-duty day. We find that the benefit is two-fold. The Gallery gets a greater spread of hours per week, by covering a three and a half hour period beyond where staff would normally have left work, including a half hour period after the Gallery closes. This means work can be returned to display before the re-opening the next day, thus saving us precious time in the morning. The requirement for overtime is negligible as a result and the team member gets a day off in the week to pursue their own projects.
M.S.
Do you or your staff have much contact with your peers at other institutions in the U.K.?
K.C.
We enjoy a limited amount of peer group contact with similar institutions in the UK. This used to be greater before our touring exhibitions programme was cut. I think that when you’ve been on the block as long as we have, then inevitably one gets to know a few people in the industry and the same old faces keep popping up Zelig-like in different guises and in different places.
M.S.
Does your institution use casual labor for art handling staff?
K.C.
We have a very limited requirement for casual staff. This is primarily for exhibition installations. We always use the same two freelancers who are both very experienced techs. One of them worked full-time on the team for two years before leaving to go freelance.
M.S.
How closely do you work with your local fine arts shipping companies and do you use them for labor as well?
K.C.
We work fairly closely with our local shipping companies and know their various quirks, strengths and weaknesses well. We have enjoyed an exchange of staff moving in both directions, so we are well aware of the differences in culture. We are not involved at all with the booking of any shipments.
M.S.
Do you feel that art handling is respected as a profession in the U.K. and can be realistically pursued as a career with regards to monetary compensation and have you seen this change during your own career? Obviously one doesn’t pursue this path for the monetary rewards, but can one make a living at it? In the states the profession seems to have slowly grown in recognition and respect and I wondered if that was mirrored in the U.K.?
K.C.
This type of profession is regarded as being highly esoteric by the general public in this country. There is no recognised career path outside of individual institutions; though as mentioned previously, the usual suspects tend to emerge as likely candidates for this type of work should the opportunity arise. Work in this field is highly sought after and thin on the ground.
The best employers in this field for a long-term career are the so called ‘National Museums’. These are in the main; London based with comparatively large budgets and resources. Outside of these are the numerous shipping companies which appear to offer almost limitless hours of work and therefore far greater earning potential. The hours tend towards being anti-social and the working schedule, unpredictable. As an individual working for one of these commercial organisations you will leave no legacy and you will only be remembered for your last job.
As far as remuneration rates go, it is highly dependent on where you work and your level of seniority. As a manager you will be on a similar pay grade to a Registrar for example. Pay rates are lower the further down in the pond you sink. Because the work is seen as being of a temporary and often part-time nature by many new joiners this is considered par for the course.
Smaller, regional based museums tend towards relying heavily on volunteers. Those fortunate enough to secure places on the staff are generally abysmally poorly paid. And curiously, the technicians are usually craft or trade orientated individuals and fewer are from an arts background.
M.S.
What kind of training does art handling staff receive and is there any opportunity for professional development?
K.C.
We have a thorough induction programme for new starters, culminating in an introduction to the various hanging hardware and specialised handling equipment. On the job training is the norm in the early stages of employment. As a point of recruitment policy, we insist that our would-be technicians have at least twelve months, preferably two years relevant experience. Both commercial and museum based experience is acceptable.
In addition to art handling related induction training, there are various Gallery programmes which will be scheduled in over the coming months after someone has joined the department. There are numerous in-house training programmes available to all gallery staff once the probationary period has been completed, and depending on operational requirements.
M.S.
Your Art Handling manual is an impressive document and I can’t say I have ever seen anything close to it in the U.S. in that it isn’t a 101 type rule book, but is very institution specific and addresses structure, protocol, and specific hardware and equipment. It must have been a huge undertaking to complete. Can you talk briefly about how it came together and if in hindsight you would have done anything differently?
We’d talked for a long time about the possibility of producing a manual. The more we thought about, it the more daunting it became. We realised, that for new people joining the team there is an obligation placed on us by the institution to provide appropriate training for all staff, not just new ones. We had relied on ‘on the job’ training for all new joiners when it came to the safe operation of our specialist handling equipment. This of course hasn’t changed now we have a manual. But the difference the manual has made is that we have had a chance to look anew at our procedures, and in doing so toughened-up our routines and made ourselves more accountable as a result. All team members have their personal copy of the manual, we’ve insisted that they read and absorb it. Bottom line is, if they screw-up on a job it won’t be because they haven’t had the appropriate level of training. It’s also a nice thing to have done and it adds prestige to the department.
What our manual doesn’t do is turn a rookie into a preparator overnight. It was never intended to be a general guide to art handling practise and it dosen’t stand-up as such. What I hope it does do, is instill in the reader a sense of the importance of the job and what it means to be associated with a large art museum with all its associated history. Plus, describe in detail the operation of our equipment and the protocols that are in place for all our various areas of activity across the Museum.
In retrospect, we could have spent more time on editing and re-drafting some of the content before going to publication. But we’d never undertaken anything like this before and I think we were wary that if we didn’t press ahead, the project would get bogged down and loose impetus.
M.S.
Can you tell me about the Art Handling organization that used to exist in the U.K.? Are any efforts being made to revive the group?
K.C.
There was an organisation here in the UK known as the AOH (Art and Object Handlers Assoc). At one point in the 1990’s membership stood at over a hundred. It had a widespread membership across mainly regional museums and galleries. We organised a few conventions and annual conferences which were considered a success. Sadly, as with many of these types of voluntary run organisations, it suffered from too few people contributing their time and ideas. PACCIN with its much larger base of actual and potential members seems to have attained a greater momentum than AOH managed. I think though, that one has to guard against it being something that is run and perpetuated by just a small cadre of dedicated members.
M.S.
Do you know of any interest among your colleagues in the U.K. for some kind of collaboration with PACCIN?
K.C.
I would say that given the interest that was generated for a short while by AOH, that PACCIN could establish a foothold here in the UK too. For those of us who are fortunate enough to travel internationally, particularly to the US, as I do from time to time. PACCIN offers a glimpse into what is a both familiar but also unusual world of art handling concerns. I have some doubts as to whether a wider more disparate regionally based audience would find a lot of what PACCIN offers all that relevant to their daily experiences in the workplace. Perhaps smaller commercial galleries and shipping agents would recognise more of what they do in the content offered by PACCIN? In short, I think it would be of more interest to those of us who have colleagues in the US and who also travel and work there on occasion.
M.S.
On a lighter note, I can’t help but notice that you and your colleagues seem to share the same love of cycling and cycles as do many of the art handlers in the U.S, and you have a pretty impressive rack of them not far from your office. What do you make of this seemingly widespread obsession with bicycles by art handlers? Is this obsession more about object than tool, or more tool than object (laughs)? Also, and on another (and still lighter) note, can you talk about the brilliant use of the ping pong table that I have seen both here at the National Gallery as well as at other institutions in the U.K.?
K.C.
left to right: Chris Moreland, Saint Louis Art Museum Senior Preparator;
Nathan Poetzscher and Jake Bloomer, SLAM Preparators
Nine out of the twelve members of the department ride to work daily. Quite why art handlers have such a proclivity for cycling is not clear. I have put this question to the team and come up with some plausible reasons. Self-sufficiency and relative cheapness, public transport costs in London are crippling. Though that reason starts to loose traction when you see some of the eye watering prices people are prepared to pay for cycles and their accessories. A bicycle is both an efficient and practical form of human powered transport; it is also a thing of beauty as is any machine that is as pared-down and reliant on sheer human ingenuity as a bicycle is.
Art Handler bicycle storage, The National Gallery, London
I think we’re entering the realm of when does a machine become art? Think back to "The Art of the Motorcycle" show, which toured the US and came to Europe a few years back. I happened to catch it at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Now, I’m a biker and I have no qualms whatsoever with the argument that certain bikes have a place in an art gallery. One of our number has inherited a cycle from his dad that was hand-built in 1949. He's in the process of fully re-furbishing it to "as new" condition. The frame has just come back from a specialist frame painter in Bristol, resplendent in the original colour and decals. Apparently its so lovely, Alan may decide that its just too nice to put onto the road! The same mindset applies I think, when considering the place of bicycles in the hearts of art handlers. Cycles perhaps, are the ultimate expression in kinetic art?
The ping pong table idea was simply utilizing the brilliant design and relative cheapness of the table tennis table and combining it with some cushions we had made up to use it as a picture packing table. By their very nature, a good quality ping pong table is stable, able to be folded away and stowed, sits on wheels, enabling it to be moved easily. By contrast, the type of trestle table that we often see in use in other museums is flimsy, unstable, and too small in many instances for what is asked of it and not on wheels. Furthermore, our packing tables can easily revert to their more recreational use by simply discarding the cushions and erecting the nets!
Art handlers and table tennis, well that’s a whole other ball game.
M.S.
personal bicycle lab of MCA, Chicago's Senior Preparator, G.R. Smith (an extreme case)
Saint Louis Art Museum photographs by Jason Gray.
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