Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/07/2024
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Categories
BAPCR evening talk via Zoom (only)
7pm, Wednesday 3rd July 2024
We look forward to welcoming you to an evening talk by Gwendolyn Boeve-Jones, Mariana Escamilla-Martínez, Megan Levet and Michelle Vergeer who will present:
All that glitters is not gold: Treatment of Golden Macaroni Jacket by Yayoi Kusama
The privately owned Golden Macaroni Jacket, by Yayoi Kusama, arrived at the conservation Studio Redivivus in August 2022 in poor condition. The artwork, signed and dated 1965, consists of a men’s woollen jacket covered in macaroni and other pastas that are painted gold. The textile support was torn and fragile, the original wooden coat hanger close to failing, the pasta pieces hollowed from pest infestations and the painted surface tarnished, retouched, and dirty.
Kusama created a series of pasta pieces in the early 60’s as an expression and embodiment of her fear of food. She claimed that ‘like sex, food was also an object of fear for me’, macaroni was simply the medium she chose ‘to give concrete expression to this powerful fixation’ of hers, to overcome her fear. [1]
The treatment of the jacket included collaborative work with art handlers, a radiologist, conservators of various specialisations, and a mount maker. As Kusama is still alive, guiding ethical principles regarding the artist’s intent and her opinions on the longevity of her works were also key concerns to consider as the project developed. This talk will explore the way in which collaborative thinking was essential in all aspects of the conservation research and treatment, from transport and packing, to structural treatment, technical imaging, aesthetic reintegration and display.
Gwendolyn Boevé-Jones is the founder and director of Studio Redivivus. Gwendolyn has worked for the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands and as an independent painting conservator for museums and private collectors. Gwendolyn regularly has interns from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands and other European and International institutions at Studio Redivivus, and lectures and participates in international conferences on issues concerning conservation, restoration and technical investigation of 20th-century paintings.
Mariana Escamilla Martínez is a paintings conservator at Studio Redivivus particularly interested in technical analysis of artworks, minimal tear mending techniques and the use of so-called green solvents. Mariana has worked in private studios in Germany, England and The Netherlands, and participated in projects at the Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, as well as in the Beirut Museum of Art BeMA in Lebanon. Mariana is also Director of Communications for IIC International Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
Megan Levet is a paintings conservator specialising in the treatment of modern and contemporary artworks. In 2022, she completed an internship at Studio Redivivus where she assisted in the treatment of Kusama’s Golden Macaroni Jacket. She currently works at Joanna Shepard Conservation and is an early career member of the INCCA Steering committee.
Michelle Vergeer is a freelance paintings conservator. Michelle has worked at the Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL) in Maastricht, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid and the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. After obtaining her Professional Doctorate she continued working for both museums and private collectors, working at Studio Redivivus for 3.5 years before deciding to start a freelancing career. Michelle is a board member of the Dutch association for conservation, Restauratoren Nederland.
[1] Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Net The Autobiography of Yayoi Kusama, 2011, Tate. First published in Japanese in 2002, translated by Ralph McCarthy, p.51.
Entry is free of charge to BAPCR members (please email BAPCRsecretary@gmail.com to request a Zoom invitation), and £5 for non-members. Non-members can pay for tickets in advance by:
- BACS transfer – NatWest, Sort code: 53 50 33, Account number: 5300 0757
- PayPal – www.paypal.com. When making payment, follow the instructions online. Click on “Send money” tab. Enter BAPCRsecretary@gmail.com when prompted.
Please email Gemma Collins, BAPCR Secretary at BAPCRsecretary@gmail.com with your name and email address details when you pay for your tickets.
A link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed the day before the talk.
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