Entrevista com Andreas Sampatakos, conservador da Galeria Municipal de Atenas e participante na III Masterclass 20|21 – “Cleaning Paintings” – Junho/2010
1. How did you start doing restoration?
I owe a lot to my father who helped me finding the way to conservation world; I started working in cabinetmakers workshops, where I gained the ability to work with hands, technical way of thinking and the love for the wooden artifacts, and in 1989 I started studying conservation in the Technical University of Athens (TEI). During my studies I came close to great monuments and projects such as the conservation in Mont Athos and the Monastery of Patmos.
2. In which area within restoration do you work today? Did you work in different ones?
I have started working in conservation projects, in monuments in the ministry of culture of Greece. Then I moved to the Byzantine and christian Museum of Athens where I worked for 7 years.The last 3 as a senior conservator. Finally, since 2003, I have been working as a senior conservator of wooden works of art in the Municipal Gallery of Athens. Also I have been for three years part time lecture in the Technical Institution of Athens, TEI, in the school of Conservation of Antiquities and works of Art. During my carreer I have also been involved in conservation of easel and wall paintings, but my speciality regards the conservation of Icons and wooden works of art. In the Gallery I get through all the usual museum projects, involving conservation, storage, condition reports, loans, etc of the collection of wooden works of art. My main interest is the structural conservation of wooden substrate and the cleaning of painted and decorated wooden surfaces. Therefore, cleaning methods were a big part of my Master studies in UK in 2009.
3. What do you like the most doing in your area? Why?
Conservation of wooden works of Art combine in most cases a complex set of problems that cause the deterioration. Treating this kind of artifacts brings many questions regarding the construction techniques, the relation between the support and the painted-decorated surface, the older treatments. For me, wood is an extremely interesting material.
4. Is there any technical challenge that you haven’t surpassed?
Some of the most challenging are the cleaning issues, because the surfaces have to be unpacked and the layers to be separated. I have been trying to improve my cleaning methods, and that was the reason why I came to Prof. Wolbers workshop.
