Art On The Road
Updating And Restoring Artwork In A Public Setting
I recently had the opportunity to re-engage with a commission I created thirteen years ago.
At the time, it was the largest piece I had ever created (4’ x 15’) and consisted of 20+ layers of encaustic color and texture. The collecting institution commissioned the work to honor their football coaching legacy and I knew that they might want to add to the work in the future.
Fast forward to this year and the institution requested the addition of images of their two most recent head coaches. From a prior attempt, I knew that additions to large encaustic pieces are tricky…each new layer potentially reactivates the layers below and necessitates removing the panel to work horizontally, preferably with a torch, none of which was conducive to a public setting 1300 miles from my working studio.
Detail of “Perseverance,” by Kristy Darnell Battani /Bill Brown Alumni Football Center, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
So, as a starting point I had to rethink the materials and find a solution that was more portable and less invasive. I spent a good amount of time experimenting with different techniques and materials before traveling to the site. While I ultimately landed on a technique that enabled me to add and blend the images into the surface (rather than embedding them into the wax layers as I had previously done), the process was tedious and a bit nerve-racking. I had to anticipate all of the possible problems that might arise during the restoration work and prepare to have the materials I would need to solve those problems on hand for the work.
So if you will indulge me, let me share—
Lessons Learned From Revisiting A Commissioned Art Installation:
1
Keep notes during the creation process and installation.
These first lessons come on the front end when you initially create and install the work. In the perfect world, I would have kept detailed notes during the making of the artwork, including the paint type and brand, color, and any other mixed media or finishes I used, as well as some samples. In this case, I had a decent list of the colors, brands and a few remnants of the mixed media, but I spent days searching for them because I didn’t have much of a system for saving and retrieving those notes.
2
Take photos during the creation and installation.
Again, this is on the front end, but make sure you have plenty of photos of the actual work and the installation, including the surrounding environment. In this case, I had hired an excellent photographer to shoot the actual work and some of those photos captured the environment, but I didn’t document many of the details, like the size and placement of a console table and immovable outlets on the installation wall.
3
Plan for the future.
If there is any possibility that the client would want to add to this piece in the future (for example, in this case, the artwork was intended to expand as additional coaches were honored), have a plan for where in the artwork additions will happen and note the measurements of those spaces. In this case, I intentionally incorporated blank “squares” in the design so the piece could evolve. However, I failed to document the actual sizes of those spaces (which varied), leaving me guessing what size I needed to create the new images when it came time to add them.
After you get to the site to do the restoration or additions:
4
Get to know the janitorial or support staff.
These folks are going to be the ones to save your ass when things start to go off the rails (which they inevitably will do, even if just for a hot second). The janitorial and support staff will be the ones to help you find an extension cord, ladder or protection for furniture in the work area. Be nice to them. Treat them with unflinching respect. Consider buying them snacks.
5
Protect the work area.
As a starting point, you will need to determine whether your restoration work will need to be horizontal or vertical, in situ in the display space or in a private work area. Do you need access to water? Good ventilation? Scaffolding or ladders? Will the area be protected or blocked off from traffic while you are working? Think through all of these factors and make arrangements for them well in advance of your arrival. Don’t assume the collector will have ladders, tables, extension cords, drop cloths, wash sinks or any other supplies you may have readily available in your studio.
6
Arrange access to the space.
It is important to have a single person who will be your point of contact for access and questions during the restoration work. If you need to let things dry and come back to check on the progress, how will you access the space? Fortunately, my client gave me a building pass so I could come and go at will, but that will rarely be the case for most corporate or public spaces.
7
Order and bring specialty materials with you.
Most artists have certain materials and preferred brands that best serve their needs. Don’t assume that every city will have a fully-stocked Dick Blick art store. Order your necessary materials well in advance and plan how you will get them to your destination. Many art supplies cannot be stored in carry-on luggage and may need to be packed or shipped ahead of time. If your materials are flammable or large, you may need to drive to your destination.
8
Know where the nearest art supply and hardware store is.
No matter how well you plan, something will happen during the restoration work that necessitates some material or tool you do not have on hand. Assume this will happen (because it will) and locate the Home Depot and Michaels-type stores closest to your work site before you go. Don’t wait until a crisis happens during the work; have the address already on your phone so you can calmly tell the client that you need to run a quick errand. (You can hyperventilate and panic in the privacy of your own rental car and repeat “this too shall pass” or the mantra of your choice.)
9
Keep your receipts.
Hopefully you have made arrangements in advance for the client to reimburse you for all necessary expenses. Have a ziplock bag or some other safe way of keeping all of your receipts in one place even if things get a big messy during the restoration work.
10
Stay flexible.
No matter how much you plan, something is going to surprise you during the restoration work. In my case, I was unsure how older encaustic layers were going to react to the oil and cold wax mixture and how that might impact the dry time between layers. Also, I was surprised to see that the natural wax medium I had used in some areas of the original work had yellowed unlike the areas where I had used purified wax medium. I had to do some unplanned glazing with oil sticks to restore the color balance.
Some of these little surprises were quite stressful given the tight time frame I had to complete the restoration, but a passing conversation with one of the team’s coaches helped me put things in perspective. As he stopped to watch me work, he commented on how proud he and his colleagues were to be a part of the artwork. I realized they felt ownership of the art and the history it honored. He didn’t care if I seamlessly feathered the new layer of paint into the old one; rather, he respected the untold hours I had spent creating and now updating this art that elevated the space and story of his work. Good artwork almost always reaches beyond the artist’s intent.
What To Pack For Your On-Site Restoration Work:
Everybody’s packing list will be different depending on your medium and the type of restoration or art addition you are doing. Here was my original packing list and some of the items I had to get on-site.
The Supplies I Remembered To Pack:
Oil sticks in various colors
Cold wax
Paint cups for mixing
Pencils and Sharpies
Xacto blade
Eraser
Cutting mat
Ruler
Artist-Tac adhesive paper
Palette knife
Multiple copies of the images to be embedded (numerous copies and sizes as backups)
Rags
Vinyl gloves
Drop cloth
The Supplies I Forgot, Bought On-Site Or Borrowed:
Additional oil paint (for unexpected restoration)
Flat-head palette knife
Sponge
Ladder
Extension cord
Hair dryer
I would love to hear about your adventures re-engaging with past work in situ! Can you share any lessons learned that might ease someone else’s stress when tackling a similar project?
“Perseverance,” by Kristy Darnell Battani /Bill Brown Alumni Football Center, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI