San Francisco 2013

A View from Now

Jill Sterrett

ABSTRACT

At the intersection of art conservation and contemporary art, tried-and-true conservation principles mix with new perspectives to enrich the preservation canon. The new involves vital, dynamic engagement with artists, and with their practices and diverse materials. It is a lasting reminder that people are, as they have always been, at the heart of this business of objects. With contemporary art artists are more than merely present and accounted for, they are at the center of our purpose. Furthermore, we are the eyewitnesses to an era of art production. How do all of our voices contribute to understanding who we are and how does this impact our ongoing commitment to cultural heritage?

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Une Vue à Partir de Maintenant

Jill Sterrett

RÉSUMÉ

À l’intersection de la restauration de l’art et de l’art contemporain, des principes de conservation/restauration sûrs se fusionnent avec de nouvelles perspectives pour l’enrichissement du canon de préservation. Le nouveau implique un engagement vital et dynamique avec les artistes, ainsi qu’avec leurs pratiques et matériaux divers. C’est un rappel durable que les gens sont, et ont toujours été, au cœur de l’entreprise des objets. Les artistes en art contemporain sont plus que simplement présents et représentés, ils sont au centre de notre raison d’être. Par ailleurs, nous sommes les témoins d’une ère en production d’art. Comment toutes nos voix contribuent à la compréhension de qui nous sommes et quelles sont les incidences de cela sur notre engagement continu envers le patrimoine culturel?

Two day workshop

Instructor: Richard Wolburs, Associate Professor – Art Conservation Program, University of Delaware/Winterthur Museum

In the first day, participants will explore the general principles of wet-cleaning.  The second day will cover more advanced topics in aqueous cleaning such as bleaching, enzymes, poultices and "spotting".  Participants will need an understanding of basic chemical principles to gain the maximum benefit from the material presented.

Two day workshop

Instructor: Denyse Montegut, Professor and Chairperson of the graduate program in Fashion and Textile Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

This 2-day workshop will provide participants with a basic understanding of fiber analysis, highlighting the optical properties of light that make using polarized light microscopy critical for identification. Morphology, aging characteristics, refractive index, and corroborating burn and solubility tests will be discussed as they apply to the identification of all fibers, especially those specific techniques suitable for man-made fibers. Participants will learn sample preparation for microscopy, and discuss advanced as well as low-tech methods for identification.

One day workshop

Instructor:  Shelly Uhlir, Staff Mountmaker - National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.

This workshop will teach a variety of approaches to creating faces, appendages and body forms using Fosshape 300 and 600. Students will have the opportunity to use the 300 weight material to mold hands/ faces/ feet and the 600 weight to mold body shapes.  Students will be encouraged to bring their own specific Fosshape-related mannequin challenges to discuss. Finishing methods (painting, fleece covering) as well as techniques of concealing brass armatures in the hand area will be discussed.

To view mannequins made from Fosshape: http://nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/circleofdance/

One day workshop

Instructor: Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Textile Artist - San Francisco

In this workshop, students will learn the history and methods of resist dye techniques, including traditional and contemporary techniques of arashi, stitch resist, and clamping with carved blocks.

Ana Lisa Hedstrom, a textile artist since the 1960s, works innovatively to manipulate color and scale – combining traditional techniques like arashi shibori with hi-tech equipment like digital scanners.  In 2003 Ana Lisa was made a Fellow of the American Craft Council and has been the recipient of Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as other awards. She has been the subject of numerous international solo and group exhibitions. Her work is included in many public collections, including Museum of Arts and Design and Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, Oakland Museum, California, and Takeda Kahei Shoten, Arimatsu and Aiichi Shibori Archive, Nagoya, Japan.

One day workshop

Instructor: Candace Kling, Textile Artist - San Francisco

In this hands-on workshop, students will create a myriad of ribbon and fabric samples: pleated, folded, pressed, gathered and stitched (by hand and machine). Although the origin of some of these ribbonwork trims and edgings dates back to the 18th Century, their application is amply evident in today’s exuberant fashion pages. Candace brings to class her many boards of ribbonwork examples. Come and refresh your memory or learn it all for the very first time.

Candace Kling’s years of enthusiastic research in ribbon and fabric embellishment have led her to explore museum costume and textile collections across the country, teaching as she goes. Her richly detailed textile sculptures have been exhibited nationally and internationally over the last three decades and are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Design and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Her book, The Artful Ribbon, is still a favorite among ribbon fans. Learn more about her on two current blog posts as well as by visiting her website www.candacekling.com