Ron Mueck In Bed (2005)—A Contemporary Textile Challenge

Following the inclusion of Ron Mueck's In Bed (2005) in the 2010 National Gallery of Victoria Touring Exhibition Ron Mueck and the 2011 Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art Regional Tour In Bed by Ron Mueck, the artwork underwent a major conservation treatment. The treatment focused on remediation of textile staining and discolouration which had progressively increased over the period of exhibition. In addition to the treatment, the Gallery undertook to reproduce three textile components comprising the upper and lower pillowcases and the duvet cover. The monumental scale of In Bed posed considerable conservation challenges in both undertaking the cleaning treatment and manufacturing the reproduction textile pieces. An extensive literature review revealed little published material on the treatment of large contemporary textiles, therefore the treatment methodology was based on principles developed for historic textiles. To wash the oversised textile pieces, the Gallery built a 5 × 8 m custom-designed washtub and drying rack. The use of theatre curtaining in the manufacture of the original and reproduction textiles required experimental work to determine the validity and success of established historic textile treatments applied in a contemporary context.