The exhibition African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond opened on April 27, and will be on view through September 3.
Paintings Conservator Amber Kerr-Allison worked on many of the artworks before they were ready for display, including
Löis Mailou Jones's Moon Masque.
In this piece, the artist
framed a Zairian-inspired mask with abstracted silhouettes and patterned bands of color reminiscent of Ethiopian textiles. It's difficult to tell until you are close to the painting, but the mask is actually a three-dimensional work that Jones created out of papier-mache and placed on the flat, painted canvas. The mask is painted in acrylics and overlaid with strips of gold leaf.After examining Moon Masque, Amber noted that the weight of the mask was placing stress on the canvas, causing it to sag and stretch and creating tiny cracks in the painted surface. Since conservators not only strive to keep artworks in top condition but to protect them against future damage, Amber placed a padded backing board behind the painting in order to reduce the stress on the painted layers created by the weight of the mask. The padding fills the space between the canvas and the back board, supporting the canvas and curtailing the possibility of further damage to the paint layers. Additionally, the padding will reduce vibration of the canvas any time the painting is handled and transported.
Amber then cleaned the work using both wet and dry techniques before beginning a consolidation treatment on the surface to secure loose materials and fill in cracks. To learn more about her work (including why a sponge can be considered high-tech!) read the rest of this story on our blog, Eye Level.
Not only does Moon Masque look fabulous for the exhibition, but Amber's work helps to ensure that it will be protected as it travels with the exhibition to other museums across the country.
I hope you can come and see it in person, but if not - be sure to take a look at the photographs of the exhibition
on Flickr.
-- Courtney
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