Joanna Kosek

Head of Pictorial Art Conservation

Pictorial Art Conservation

Department: Conservation and Scientific Research

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8348
Email: conservation @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Joanna M Kosek is the Head of Pictorial Art Conservation in a job-share capacity with her colleague, Caroline Barry. They manage work planning and conservators in the Western Art on Paper, Eastern Art on Paper and Silk, and Conservation Mounting studios.

Joanna trained as a paper conservator, specialising in art on paper, at Camberwell College of Art, London, after completing higher education at Maria Curié University of Lublin, Poland where she read English. She started her career in the British Museum in 1989 in the specialist area of conservation of Western prints, drawings and watercolours. In 1994 she worked in the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, India as part of the conservation team of the Calcutta Tercentenary Trust.

Areas of interest in which she has published and lectured are conservation history, pastel and oil on paper techniques, washing techniques for paper, mounting and housing and the effect of macro- and microenviromments on paper.

Current British Museum projects

Investigation into the future treatment of Michelangelo cartoon Epifania, BM, PD 895,0915.518

‘Water Treatments’, Paper and Water: a Guide for Conservators, I. Bruckle, G. Banik (ed.s), Elsevier,(forthcoming), see www.smb.museum

Paper and Environments,with B.Christensen (eds) Archetype Publications (forthcoming)

Previous British Museum projects

Co-organiser of the international conference ‘Mounting and Housing Art on paper’, May 2005

External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies

Accredited member of the Institute of Conservation (ICON)

Member of the International Institute for Conservation (IIC)

Member of Advisory Council for the Kupferstichkabinett Saatliche Museen, Berlin

Publications

Most recent publications

J. Kosek, ‘The rate of washing of paper,’ with V. Daniels, Works of Art on Paper, Books, Documents and Photographs - Techniques and Conservation, V. Daniels, A. Donnithorne and P. Smith  (eds), preprints to Baltimore International Institute for Conservation Congress 2002, London: The Institute for Conservation (2002), pp. 47-51

J. Kosek, ‘Studies on the Washing of Paper; Part 1: The influence of wetting on the washing rate,’ and ‘Studies on the Washing of Paper; Part 2: A comparison of diffusion washing on the washing rate,’ with V. Daniels: Restaurator, 25 (2004), pp. 81-93 and pp. 260-266

J. Kosek, Conservation Mounting for Prints and Drawings, A Manual Based on the Current Practice at The British Museum, London: Archetype Publications Ltd, in partnership with the British Museum, (2005)

J. Kosek, Art on Paper: Mounting and Housing for Storage and Display, with J. Rayner, and B. Christensen, (ed.s) preprints for the British Museum conference ‘Mounting and Housing Art on Paper for Storage and Display: history, science and present day practice’ 19-20 May 2005, London: Archetype Publications, (2005)

J Kosek, ‘What happens to enclosed paper?’, with D. Jacobs,  Art on Paper: Mounting and Housing for Storage and Display, preprints for the British Museum conference ‘Mounting and Housing Art on Paper for Storage and Display: history, science and present day practice’ 19 -20 May 2005 , London: Archetype Publications, (2005), pp. 29-37