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Art treasures emerging from the mud

By February 1, 2011July 18th, 2011Art Security, Insuring art
Man at art sales

Amidst the recent flooding in Australia, one gallerist struggles to pick the pieces up and put his gallery back together.

— Reposted from CourierMail.

They came from all around for the love of art and to help a long-standing industry colleague, Victor Mace, whose Milton-based fine art gallery was flooded throughout the display floor.

“We’ve had them all here, as sorters, rinsers, washers, driers, sanitisers, carriers, plumbers, electricians, drivers, supervisors, packers,” said volunteer Joan Winter of Baboa Gallery in The Gap.

“It’s important to try to save as many of these treasures as we can,” Ms Winter said.

Mr Mace dashes by, on his way to buy more sanitising agents.

When he returns, he approves the removal of a few ethnic textiles from the site, then looks over mud-soaked paintings leaning against his front door.

He has no insurance.

“I have to decide from this lot which will be restored and which will be just too costly to do so,” he said.”We’ve already thrown some in the trash – they would have just cost too much to bring back.

“The restorers have their special techniques of doing things but it does come at a price.”

At least one of his paintings has already been restored “and it came up beautifully”, Mr Mace said.

Beyond salvation was his collection of reference books that lined one side of the gallery. Even the volunteers outside shook their heads over that loss, but Mr Mace said: “I don’t want to think about them. That’s gone. Years of work, gone.”

Also gone was all his paperwork including any that involved insurance for loss of business or business interruption. ”It’s going to create real hassles,” he said.

With the help of skilled volunteers and loads of heavy lifting provided by people from librarians to Rio Tinto workers, Mr Mace has pulled from the gallery nine car-loads of ceramics and two van-loads of antiques and paintings. “Most of those, except for the paintings, were just washed and sent into storage until I have a chance to decide what to do,” he said.

Smaller ceramics and objects were scattered across three tables, surrounded by volunteers painstakingly clearing off as much dirt as possible.

“We’ve had people here from all over to help. A truck pulled up with a barbecue on the back to feed us, the coffee shop has been giving us hot drinks.”

Right now all Victor Mace wants is a day off. “It will be a year before we’re fully back to normal, but I’ll be back.”

 

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