Workshop

When you next look at the works on display at Christchurch Art Gallery, take a moment to think about how they got here. And what happens to them when they are not on display.

Works of art can be any size, shape, weight, and of course, value. But all need to be able to be moved, lent to other institutions, and stored safely. That's where workshop technician Martin Young comes in. Working in a custom-designed workshop on the ground floor of the Gallery, Martin has the task of creating the bespoke crates and boxes that will protect and store these valuable works of art, whatever their journey.

These crates are much more than just simple wooden boxes or ‘apple crates'. They have to be strong enough to support and protect very valuable artefacts, yet light enough to be transported internationally.

Each crate is lined with archival foam to ensure a snug fit for its contents, and lined with an insulation foil to protect it against changes in atmospheric conditions. Finally the crates are sanded and varnished, often to a very high level of finish, because, as Martin says, ‘the better they look, the better they get handled.'