The 35 mm slide transparency is a hybrid medium that belongs on a continuum between still photography and motion-picture film and combines qualities of both technologies. All three terms: slide, transparency and dia describe an ephemeral presence, a state in which a picture is formed, lasts, and disappears (Bauer 2000). Transparent breaks down into trans (beyond, across) and parere (to appear, be visible, be seen, etc.). In most Romance languages slide is translated as diapositive: dia (through, between). In contrast to negative-based film, reversal film is photo-chemically processed as a positive image. Without this mount, the transparent film material would not be able to “slide” from one image to another inside a carousel or magazine when projected. “Slide” commonly refers to a 35 mm photographic positive image comprising chromogenic dyes on a transparent base held inside a plastic or card mount. developed a course of action for the preservation of slide-based artworks in our care.reached out to a broader community to identify centers of excellence in the field of slide digitization outside the field of fine art conservation and.explored the possibility of producing slide duplicating stock as a niche product.learned how to duplicate analog slides ourselves.Recognizing the slow demise of slide technology, during this period we have This paper follows the journey within time-based media conservation at Tate from 2007 to the present day. ![]() The most important aspect of this role is to help build understanding and trust. In this emerging territory the conservator’s role is to function as a diplomat: mediating between the museum, the artwork, the artist, and a distributed network of experts. However, at this time as we live on the cusp of this shift to the digital, we are fortunate in be able to work with the artists involved, to explore ways of managing these changes in order to attempt to secure the continued display of these works whilst we understand both analog and digital technologies. Of course, it is hard not to wonder if the decisions we make now about this body of work will in hindsight seem as contentious and misguided as those who feel passionately about the decisions made in the past about the treatment of panel paintings. Unlike the decisions made to remove painted surfaces from panel paintings, the decision to change the underlying technological support of 35 mm slide-based artworks is not motivated by the desire to prevent damage, but rather has become the only way in which we can continue to display these works. In this paper I explore how, as conservators, we might respond to, and plan for, this significant change in the technology underpinning slide-based artworks in our collections. ![]() Within time-based media conservation, we are faced with a radical shift in technology as commercial support for 35 mm slides ceases. ![]() The arguments justifying these decisions undoubtedly appeared compelling at the time, only to become highly controversial centuries later. For example painted surfaces from panel paintings have in the past been stripped from their wooden support and re-adhered to canvas. There are moments in the history of conservation when objects are radically altered in order to preserve what was most valued at that time. This paper explores the strategies currently available to conservators and the rapidly decreasing timeframe in which action will need to be taken. This paper reflects on the challenges facing conservators dealing with the preservation and display of slide-based works in fine art collections following the discontinuation of the last remaining slide duplicating stock, Kodak Edupe, in March 2010, and the imminent demise of this analog technology. The Feasibility of Small-scale Production of Slide StockĪlternative Materials for Printing Transparencies Slide-based Artworks in Tate’s Collection The Electronic Media Review, Volume Two: 2011-2012
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