Touching

Over the years we have taken many photos of the do not touch signs (and, ok, the don’t photograph ones too) in public art museums. Public institutions struggle to weight the obvious tactile attractions of sculpture with the effects of constant handling. The results are often hilarious. We remember a long negotiation with conservators over the cleaning of a marble statue we had selected for an exhibition. We were informed that the task (probably done with cotton buds) would take around six months. The fact that a good chunk of the world’s marble statuary takes its chances outside in all weathers didn’t cut it as an argument.

So here for conservators everywhere are a couple of sculptures that wear their rubbings like badges of honour, Lincoln’s nose, a line of butts from the Riviera's Crazy Girls Club in Las Vegas and the ever patient, ever smiling, Victor Noir.

Images: Top, Lincoln's Tomb. Middle, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Bottom, Victor Noir’s Grave at Pere Lachaise, Paris