Conservation

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Art and science are sometimes seen as opposites but they come together in the Conservation Center at LACMA. In on-site laboratories, teams of specialists examine and treat works of art, using sophisticated technology.

LACMA's Conservation Center was established in 1967, two years after the museum opened. It was the first conservation department on the West Coast, a testament to the commitment of the museum's director and board of trustees to preserve the permanent collection.

The center has grown to encompass six areas of conservation expertise: paintings, textiles, paper, objects, collections management, and research. Its staff of more than twenty-five includes conservators, scientists, technicians, fellows, interns, photographers, and administrators.

These highly trained professionals collaborate closely with other museum departments to care for both the permanent collection and works on loan from other institutions. Their diverse responsibilities include documenting condition, diagnosing problems, and recommending repairs; monitoring the museum environment to ensure that appropriate temperature, humidity, and light levels are maintained; and establishing procedures for safe storage and transport.

 

 

 

 

Image: Silviu Boariu, one of LACMA's conservation experts, restores an element of The Zodiac Project, artist Ai Weiwei's first major public sculpture.
Paintings Lab
Conservators Joe Fronek and Elma O'Donoghue experiment with new cleaning solutions
Paintings Lab
Conservators Joe Fronek and Elma O'Donoghue experiment with new cleaning solutions

Paintings conservators at LACMA are assessing some of the latest innovations for cleaning acrylic paintings, as the unvarnished paints are often particularly sensitive. New aqueous cleaning systems offer a wide range of suitable options. The computer-based Modular Cleaning Program developed by conservator/scientist Chris Stavroudis helps LACMA conservators manage the wide range of possible cleaning solutions.

Paper Lab
18th Century, Korea, Buddha Shakyamuni Preaching to the Assembly on Vulture Peak
Paper Lab
18th Century, Korea, Buddha Shakyamuni Preaching to the Assembly on Vulture Peak

In collaboration with Professor Chi-sun Park (Jung-Jae Conservation Center, Seoul), we have just completed a year-long conservation project, restoring Buddha Shakyamuni Preaching to the Assembly on Vulture Peak. The photo shows the very last phase of treatment, the attachment of the rod to the painting. This very large painting is in scroll format as it would have been displayed in a Buddhist temple. 

Objects Lab
Ai Weiwei
The Zodiac Project
Objects Lab
Ai Weiwei
The Zodiac Project

This piece, installed outdoors at LACMA, includes recreations of the bronze animal heads that once adorned the Zodiac Fountain in Beijing. The individual sculptures were secured to the pavement using custom made clip mounts. A team of object conservators then began the process of removing surface dirt and corrosion using soap and water and soft bristle brushes. The sculptures will eventually be given a wax coating—a process that will be undertaken in consultation with the artist.

Textiles Lab
Willie Herrón, Costume for “Termites y Guerrero” performance, 1975
Textiles Lab
Willie Herrón, Costume for “Termites y Guerrero” performance, 1975

Objects conservator, Siska Genbrugge, and textile conservator, Nicole Bloomfield, collaborated on the treatment and installation of this mixed material costume for the exhibition Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972–1987. The costume is made from metal wire, papier-mâché, Styrofoam, cardboard, a sweatshirt, and an umbrella - thus requiring a cross-disciplinary approach.

Watts Towers

Conservation Project

Over a Thousand Years Ago, Weavers Displayed Amazing Technical Skill

June 20, 2011

At first glance, this Tiraz fragment, currently on display in Gifts of the Sultan, might be mistaken for having an embroidered or painted inscription (read from right to left; the bottom row is upside down). Closer inspection reveals that letters were formed during the weaving process using the tapestry weaving technique...

Balenciaga in the Pink

March 31, 2011

One of the LACMA-owned dresses in the exhibition is a bright pink silk evening gown with matching cape. Before sending it off, we wanted to know what would happen to the beautiful color while on view. We all know that overexposure to sunlight can be damaging to skin—well, it can harm fabric, too, causing its colors to fade...

Video

Talk
Conservation Talk
12:30PM Thursday, September 1
Special
Buddhist Ceremony
2:00PM Sunday, December 11