conservation

I worked as a conservation intern at the ASU Art Museum in Tempe, Arizona from May 5, 2018 to August 14, 2019 under Chief Conservator, Dana Mossman Tepper. During that time, I examined and evaluated works for condition, which can include damage such as tears, cracks, fading, marks, previous repair and improper mounting, and made recommendations for treatment including repairs, maintenance care, mounting or hinging, and housing (storage). I performed cleaning, repair, mounting, and storage tasks for paper, bronze, textile, painted and ceramic objects. Additionally, I assisted with research supporting a pigment analysis study with the Physics Department which included creating verdigris pigment from copper, and an infrared underpainting chart to look at how different materials appear under layers of paint.

Andy Warhol

In preparation for an exhibition juxtaposing the work of Andy Warhol and Viola Frey (Pop vs. Funk), I prepared 40 black and white 8 x 10 in. photos as well as 84 color Polaroids by Warhol. I evaluated photos and sorted them for treatment.

The Polaroids needed to be mounted according to the curator’s requirements for exhibition. I made a mockup sample of the mounting by cutting card stock to the size of the Polaroids and then attaching them to a test board. With the curator’s review and approval, we mounted the real photos using photo corners, carefully measuring each one for alignment.

Some of the black and white photos required treatment with a humidity bath for warping or cockling. After drying, the black and white photos needed to be mounted and framed for exhibition. We ordered and cut mat boards, created hinges for the photos and mounted them, finally inserting the pieces into frames for display. Pre-exhibition, a leak in the building damaged a framed Warhol print which we mitigated by removing the wet and damaged mat and housing. It was later treated for cockling and water damage as well.

Viola Frey

In preparation for this exhibition, object conservator Nancy Odegaard from the Arizona State Museum in Tucson advised us on cleaning two ceramic pieces (Reclining Red Man and Reclining Blue Man) by Viola Frey that had been improperly adhered together and left outdoors.

We worked with Odegaard’s team from Tucson to scrub and vacuum out several large pieces that had been dismantled and laid on padding. In addition to removing debris and washing, we used tweezers to remove the silicone-type adhesive that had previously been used to adhere the large pieces together.

Before and during the exhibition (on days the museum was closed), I manually cleaned the assembled sculptures with brushes and cotton swabs, as well as continuing to work on removing all remaining adhesive.

Ai Kijima

Artist Ai Kijima creates quilted textile works, and advised us prior to the exhibition that, over time, the edges sometimes curl up during hanging.

Following her instructions, I discretely sewed Velcro onto the backside corners of her pieces and was able to attach them to the wall so that they remained smooth and flat for the duration of the exhibition.

Susan Garson & Tom Pakele – Cup Form with Animal Figures (1989)

ceramic

This porcelain cup in the museum’s collection is a collaborative piece by artists Susan Garson and Tom Pakele.

The leg of the zebra had previously broken off. I made a B-72 alkyloid/acetone mixture to adhere the leg back onto the cup and reattached it by inverting the cup and allowing gravity to assist the bonding of the two pieces during drying.

Pablo Picasso – Le Viuex Roi (1959)

paper

This print by Picasso had tape/adhesive from a prior mounting. I was able to remove some of the adhesive with a gum eraser, and the remainder with a heat tool that softened the adhesion so I could lift off the tape and adhesive. This task required extra care as the paper the work was on was very friable and likely to tear or lift away with the tape/adhesive removal.

Robert Arneson – Nuclear Stockpile (1985)

bronze

This statue by Robert Arneson was stored in an exterior space with limited protection from the elements. The object was layered in dust from storms and required cleaning. Using various sizes and shapes of brushes, I dusted the piece and then used a vacuum to clean any crevices and remaining debris.

Jean Lipman – The Seeds of Art History (1991)

paper

While in storage, several dots and other paper elements on this work by Lipman had become fugitive. Other elements were loosening and at risk of eventual loss. First the piece was manually surface cleaned with vinyl eraser and with an eraser block (Magic Rub). Using the existing color acquisition photo as a guide, I was able to reattach the fugitive dots with carboxymethyl cellulose in their original positions by matching up shapes as well as the actual dot patterns on the dots themselves. I also reattached several of the larger paper elements that were no longer fully attached. I was able to reattach all of the elements and restore the piece to its original appearance.

Stephen Kaltenbach – Man Crying Over Artifact (1986)

cement and resin

The nose of this large sculpture of a head lying on its side had broken off in several pieces. I did some preliminary work matching up the pieces to be reattached by specialist Alaggio Laurino. I cleaned the object by brushing and vacuuming out the hollow of the interior, removing dirt, bug, and other debris.

Frank Lloyd Wright 19th Century Japanese Prints

paper

Several prints from Frank Lloyd Wright’s collection of Japanese works were loaned to the ASU Art Museum and I was tasked with creating an envelope for safe storge and viewing. First, I made a smaller practice mockup envelope. Then I made the full-size envelope, allowing for the depth of the stacked prints. The envelope was made by cutting and folding paperboard in an interlaying cross shape with wings that opened in each direction. The works were stacked in the folding envelope, and between each work was a leaf of rice paper, that I cut to size.

Hinging and Framing

paper

I performed hinging, including creating and adhering various hinge types such as folded corner hinges, slot hinges, and simple folded rice paper hinges (attached with wheat starch paste). Additionally, I assisted with selecting and ordering framing materials, measured works and cut mats, and mounted and framed works for display as required. Some pieces required the removal of previous mounting measures (clips, etc.), as well as the manual and chemical removal of marks or adhesives. Some of these pieces include: Rembrandt van Rijn’s Man in Fur Cap, Stooping, Reginal H. Neal’s The Dunes, Gene Closs’s Moonlight Circle Dance, John Risseeuw’s Even Transcendentalists Get The Blues, Enrique Chagoya’s El Sueño de la razon produce monstrous, works by Enrique Arineza Campos and Diego Rivera, as well as works for the exhibitions Bajo Presión/Under Pressure (2018), and Change Agent: June Wayne and the Tamarind Workshop (2019).

Sci Hub Paint Samples

I prepared 24 5.5” x 5.5” unbleached canvas samples for oil pigment analysis with the Physics Department of ASU. I researched and recommended historical pigments for the study, as well as researching oil drying times. The canvas samples were stretched and mounted to a board using sewing pins.  I applied a fray inhibitor to the edges of the fabric. I also researched, made, and applied rabbit skin glue (sizing), and oil ground treatments for the samples.

Verdigris

I created verdigris (copper acetate) from copper for the Sci Hub project. I researched historical verdigris recipes by authors Cennino d’Andrea Cennini in The Craftsman’s Handbook (1954) and George Field’s Chromatography: Or a Treatise on Colors and Pigments, and Their Powers for Painter and Artists (2019). The copper was treated in stages. First the copper was placed in a bath of distilled white vinegar and salt and left to dry. For the second vinegar and salt bath, I also added white wine. Once the copper was fully dry and patinaed, the flaking green particles were scraped off and then sorted by color, and size, representing difference chemical changes and oxidation in the copper.

Infrared Photography Underpainting Experiment

In this project, we wanted to examine how various types of drawing media (underpainting) might appear under paint using infrared photography. We created a table with columns of each media (graphite, pencil, charcoal, red chalk, white chalk, black chalk, 3 versions of black ink, pastel, and sepia paint) and across them I painted rows of various colors of paint. Each row received 3 layers of oil paint, increasing the oil to pigment ratio with each layer (fat over lean) and adjusting drying times accordingly.