Biography
Robyn Sloggett is Director of the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (CCMC). She has qualifications in Art History, Philosophy and Cultural Materials Conservation. As Director of the CCMC she manages the diverse conservation, teaching and research programs of the Centre. These programs include responsibility for the conservation of the cultural collections of the University of Melbourne (with over 32 separate collections owned or managed by the University) and the provision of a large program for external clients with specialist expertise in painting, frame, paper, objects and textiles conservation. The CCMC also delivers the only comprehensive post-graduate conservation professional programme in the Australasia-Pacific region, as well as courses in Art Authentication and Photographic Preservation.
Her contribution to research and teaching has developed in both an academic and professional framework. In her previous role as Deputy Director and Grimwade Chief Conservator in the Ian Potter Museum of Art she managed both Conservation and Collections Management, developing research programs which linked the scientific analysis of art and archival material (in partnership with researchers in the Faculty of Science) with art historical analysis (in partnership with researchers in the Faculty of Arts) and collection management (in partnership with staff in the Ian Potter Museum of Art and Information Services). These collaborations resulted in over 23 competitive research grants and 17 successful ARC projects.
Robyn is currently a member of the University’s Cultural Collections Committee; founded and is Production Manager for the Melbourne Journal of Technical Studies in Art; is a member of the Collections Committee of the Library Board, State Library of Victoria; and is currently Chair of the Indemnification Committee Arts Victoria. In the past she has been a member of a number of editorial boards (including Museums National Museum Australia Magazine and Open Museum Journal) and a number of organising committees (including the IIC’s 50th Congress Tradition and Innovation). She was a Board Member of the Ian Potter Museum of Art from 2000 to 2005, a Foundation Director of AusHeritage, a member of the Federal Government’s Conservation and Collection Management Working Party of the Heritage Collections Council, and both a State and National President of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM Inc). She has been a member of course advisory committees for both the University of Canberra and Deakin University. She is an associate of the School of Enterprise and the Centre for Free Radical Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Melbourne.
Her research interests include programs in cultural materials conservation that focus on the materials and techniques of artists (particularly in Australia and South East Asia), ethical and philosophical issues in cultural materials conservation, and the development of scientific techniques for conservation.
In 2004 she was awarded the Australian Institute for Cultural Materials Conservation’s Conservator of the Year Award for service to the profession
Her contribution to research and teaching has developed in both an academic and professional framework. In her previous role as Deputy Director and Grimwade Chief Conservator in the Ian Potter Museum of Art she managed both Conservation and Collections Management, developing research programs which linked the scientific analysis of art and archival material (in partnership with researchers in the Faculty of Science) with art historical analysis (in partnership with researchers in the Faculty of Arts) and collection management (in partnership with staff in the Ian Potter Museum of Art and Information Services). These collaborations resulted in over 23 competitive research grants and 17 successful ARC projects.
Robyn is currently a member of the University’s Cultural Collections Committee; founded and is Production Manager for the Melbourne Journal of Technical Studies in Art; is a member of the Collections Committee of the Library Board, State Library of Victoria; and is currently Chair of the Indemnification Committee Arts Victoria. In the past she has been a member of a number of editorial boards (including Museums National Museum Australia Magazine and Open Museum Journal) and a number of organising committees (including the IIC’s 50th Congress Tradition and Innovation). She was a Board Member of the Ian Potter Museum of Art from 2000 to 2005, a Foundation Director of AusHeritage, a member of the Federal Government’s Conservation and Collection Management Working Party of the Heritage Collections Council, and both a State and National President of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM Inc). She has been a member of course advisory committees for both the University of Canberra and Deakin University. She is an associate of the School of Enterprise and the Centre for Free Radical Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Melbourne.
Her research interests include programs in cultural materials conservation that focus on the materials and techniques of artists (particularly in Australia and South East Asia), ethical and philosophical issues in cultural materials conservation, and the development of scientific techniques for conservation.
In 2004 she was awarded the Australian Institute for Cultural Materials Conservation’s Conservator of the Year Award for service to the profession
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|
| Cultural Materials Conservation | Australia |
| Conservation analysis for Art History | Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore |
| Indigenous knowledge and cultural material culture | Australia, United Kingdom |
| Cultural Materials Collections, philosophies and access | Australia |
| Cultural materials collections, development and policy | Australia |
| The Australian Synchrotron in Cultural Materials Analysis | Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, Philippines, Thailand |
| Scientific analysis of artwork | Australia |
| Indigenous collections (The Leonhard Adam Collection at the University of Melbourne) | Australia |
International Linkages
| Country | Establishment | Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Heritage Conservation Centre | Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Thailand | Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization | Research |
| United States of America | Getty Conservation Institute | Research |
| United Kingdom | Tate | Research |
| Thailand | Silpakorn University | Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Philippines | University of the Philippines | Exchange, Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
| Malaysia | National Art Gallery of Malaysia | Research, Technical Assistance/Training |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Diploma in Applied Science (Materials Conservation | University of Canberra | 12-Dec-1982 | |
| Bachelor of Arts Honours (Fine Arts/Philosophy) | University of Melbourne | 12-Dec-1979 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material | Ordinary Member | 31-Jul-1984 | |
| Member | ICOM-CC | Ordinary Member | 14-Apr-1998 | |
| Member | Museums Australia | Individual Member | 31-Jul-2000 | 31-Jul-2006 |
| Member | IIC (International Institute for Conservation) | Ordinary Member | 01-Jul-1999 | 31-Jul-2008 |
| Member | Arts Victoria Indemnification Committee | Chair | 01-Feb-1999 | |
| Member | Museums Australia Magazine Editorial Board | Member | 01-Jan-1997 | 31-Oct-2007 |
| Member | Collections Committee of the Board of the State Library of Victoria | Member | 01-Feb-2005 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other (Award) | Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials | Conservator of the Year Award 2004 | 13-Oct-2004 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Optics and Opto-electronic Physics (OPTICAL PHYSICS) (240401)
- Instruments and Techniques (OTHER PHYSICAL SCIENCES) (249903)
- Analytical Spectrometry (ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY) (250402)
- Analytical Chemistry not elsewhere classified (ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY) (250499)
- Information Storage, Retrieval and Management (INFORMATION SYSTEMS) (280103)
- Simulation and Modelling (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSING) (280210)
- Multimedia Programming (COMPUTER SOFTWARE) (280305)
- Materials Engineering not elsewhere classified (MATERIALS ENGINEERING) (291499)
- Policy and Administration not elsewhere classified (POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION) (360299)
- Social and Cultural Anthropology (ANTHROPOLOGY) (370302)
- Criminal Law (LAW) (390106)
- Intellectual Property (LAW) (390114)
- Librarianship (LIBRARIANSHIP) (400201)
- Museum Studies (CURATORIAL STUDIES) (400301)
- Archival Studies (CURATORIAL STUDIES) (400302)
- Materials Conservation (CURATORIAL STUDIES) (400303)
- Curatorial Studies not elsewhere classified (CURATORIAL STUDIES) (400399)
- Other Journalism, Librarianship and Curatorial Studies (OTHER JOURNALISM, LIBRARIANSHIP AND CURATORIAL STUDIES) (409999)
- Fine Arts (incl. Sculpture and Painting) (VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS) (410202)
- Art History and Appreciation (OTHER ARTS) (419901)
- The Arts not elsewhere classified (OTHER ARTS) (419999)
- History: Australian (HISTORICAL STUDIES) (430101)
- History: Asian (HISTORICAL STUDIES) (430102)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Scientific instrumentation (INSTRUMENTATION) (671401)
- Polymeric materials (e.g. paints) (MATERIALS PERFORMANCE AND PROCESSES) (680303)
- Application packages (COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND SERVICES) (700101)
- Information processing services (COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND SERVICES) (700103)
- Higher education (HIGHER EDUCATION) (740301)
- Vocational education and training (VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING) (740401)
- Education across cultures (OTHER EDUCATION) (749904)
- The creative arts (ARTS AND LEISURE) (750202)
- Understanding legal processes (JUSTICE AND THE LAW) (750503)
- Government and politics not elsewhere classified (GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS) (750699)
- Understanding other countries (INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (750702)
- International organisations (INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (750703)
- Preserving movable cultural heritage (HERITAGE) (750802)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage (HERITAGE) (750805)
- Understanding Australia's past (UNDERSTANDING PAST SOCIETIES) (750901)
- Understanding the pasts of other societies (UNDERSTANDING PAST SOCIETIES) (750902)
- Managing collections (COMMUNICATION) (751006)
- Physical sciences (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780102)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The behaviour of western artists' materials in tropical environments | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Linkage Projects | 01/01/2002 |
| A pilot program for the on-line delivery of training for the preservation of cultural material for remote & under-resourced communities within Victori | Chief Investigator | TELEMATICS TRUST | Grants | 09/10/2002 |
| Authentication of Australian art - artists' supports | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Strategic Partnerships with Industry - Research & Training Scheme | 09/10/2002 |
| Three Dimensional (3-D) Object Digital Access Project | Chief Investigator | HELEN MACPHERSON SMITH TRUST | Research Grants | 01/05/2007 |
| Archaeological conservation: the development of analysis and assessment protocols for adhesives used on archaeological pottery | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Discovery Projects | 01/01/2008 |
| The twentieth century in paint | Chief Investigator | QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY, ARTLAB AUSTRALIA, TAS MUSEUM & ART GALLERY, ART GALLERY OF NSW, NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUST, AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL, TATE BRITAIN, SEAMEO - SPAFA, NATIONAL ART GALLERY OF MALAYSIA, GETTY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE |
Linkage Projects (AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL) | 01/07/2008 |
| DIGITISATION AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES: A STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE COLLECTIONS. THE INTERFACE BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development Scheme | 01/01/2009 |
| VINDICATING ROVER THOMAS | Principal Supervisor | AIATSIS | Research Grants Program | 01/07/2009 |
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.