Art materials can sometimes be difficult to come by

An article in the September 12, 2011 issue of The Wall Street Journal (“Virginia’s Slim Pickings for Smokers”, by Betsy McKay) describes the trials and tribulations that artist Xu Bing went through to obtain the 500,000 cigarettes he needed to create an installation in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Cigarettes are still commonly available –at least in small quantitites– and Xu’s work, “Tiger Carpet” is to be burned, so a conservator some years from now will not have to worry about finding replacement cigarettes. However, Xu’s problems are a reminder for conservators that common materials can one day be difficult to come by.