The Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative is a program started by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). It began in 2007 in response to the variety of new materials and technologies being used by contemporary artists in their work, and the lack of known conservation treatments for these new materials. This area was seen as a gap in the field of conservation, but also posed unique challenges when considering the intention of the artist and the physical aging that his or her materials might endure. According to Thomas F. Reese, "Conservators...must enter into the critical spirit of the works themselves if they are to save and transmit not merely decontextualized fragments but their essence to the future."[1]
This program consists of various individual research projects that are looking to the conservation issue surrounding modern paints, plastics, and outdoor sculpture, among other areas as well. The Getty Conservation Institute works collaboratively with other cultural institutions and conservation institutes on these projects, and states its goal for the program as being to making "significant and lasting impact on the field in this area."[2] The GCI is able to take on this project thanks to its role within the larger J. Paul Getty Trust - the Institute has access to its broader resources, and has the opportunity to choose projects that best serve its mission: "to advance conservation practice in the visual arts, including objects, collections, architecture and sites."[3]