Jakki Godfrey, objects conservator adjusting leaves on Sanford Biggers, Blossom, 2010.

Blossom is a mixed-media installation depicting a life-size sculpture of an oak tree extending out of the ground and through a real baby grand piano. A MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) player piano system programmed to play the artist’s original arrangement of the American jazz standard “Strange Fruit” comprises the sound element of the installation.

The conservation of a contemporary mixed media art installation such as Blossom is challenging;  not only do the physical materials (epoxy, wood, dirt, etc.) require preservation but consideration must also be given to the variable media component (MIDI) as well as documenting its installation for future generations.

When the work first arrived at the museum it, like more traditional artworks, was examined and construction and condition issues were documented.  As is typical with recent contemporary art acquisitions a questionnaire was sent to the artist to ascertain information such as what materials were used in its construction, how the object should be installed and what the artist deems as important to the preservation of the piece.  With Blossom, I was able to discuss these issues with the artist directly in front of his piece.  During these discussions it was found that the MIDI system was not working correctly and needed to be replaced by professional piano technicians.   Additionally the artist determined that some subtleties of the music composition were not being recognized by the MIDI system and so came to the museum to rework the songs directly on Blossom.

Creating a set of installation instructions to be included in Blossom’s conservation file for use in future installations is of particular importance to its preservation.  Some of the following photos show conservators working with the art handling team during installation of the work for the upcoming exhibition. To begin, the separate components of the tree were put together. After it was assembled, conservator’s filled the seams between branches with Roma Plastilina, modeling clay. The fills were textured with silicone molds and inpainted to match the tree’s texture and color rendering the seams invisible.

Silk leaves were inserted into the branches and were steamed to release any wrinkles that accumulated during storage. Finishing touches included placing dirt around the base of the tree and placing the piano bench.

The dragon is carved from limestone and although the artist is unknown, it was likely made in the early 20th century. The sculpture’s original perching place was on an insurance building in Manhattan’s financial district, somewhere near Liberty and Williams Streets. The dragon came to the museum as a gift in 1974. The zinc lion is one of three lions originally associated with the “El Dorado” carousel in Coney Island Brooklyn. This carousel was manufactured in Leipzig by Hugo Haas for King William II, and imported to Coney Island in 1910, where it was originally shown on Surf Avenue near Dreamland and Luna Park. The lions and carousel survived the 1911 Dreamland fire and were relocated to Steeplechase Park where the front façade, including the lions, was separated from the carousel and installed as a doorway to the “Barrel of Fun.” In 1923, the carousel pavilion enclosure was dismantled and the three lions were installed at another site in the amusement park where they remained until Steeplechase Park closed in 1964. The lion was donated to the museum in 1966.

In order to move the sculptures to their temporary home, Mariano Brothers, Inc., a company specializing in the rigging and movement of art objects was contracted.

The lion was the first to be lifted. High strength rigging straps were secured around the lion and its cement base to ensure that it was properly supported and safe as it was removed from the roof. The hook on a truck mounted crane was then attached to the rigging straps and the lion was gently transported to the flatbed truck below.

The dragon was the next to be lifted, however first it transported on a pallet jack to the other end of the roof so the crane could reach it.

Following the same procedure as the lion, the dragon was safely hoisted onto the flatbed truck.

Once both sculptures were secured on the truck they were driven to their new temporary home. While the sculptures are on the ground Conservation is going to take the opportunity to examine and clean both of the sculptures. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts on the treatment of the dragon and lion this summer.

To prepare for installation, the owls were first cleaned with a soft brush and vacuum to remove surface dust and then with a detergent and water to remove the more tenacious grime.

Pictured above is Emy Kim, fourth year conservation intern from the NYU IFA Conservation Program, rinsing the owls.

Before the owls were placed into the brickwork they were secured to a mounting board for safe transport and installation. Since the owls weigh in at 251 and 232 pounds they had to first be rigged onto their respect mounting boards. Soldered brass mounts were then created to secure the owls to the boards.

Pictured below at left are Paul Daniel, mount maker, and Jakki Godfrey, project conservator, rigging one of the owls onto a mounting board. Pictured below at right is a detail image of the mounting system.

Finally it was time to install the owls. The mounted owls were secured to a forklift and then gently lifted to their new location. Once in position the owls were secured in place to the brickwork.

Pictured above at left is Jason Grunwald, art handler, making sure the owl is safe as it is raised. Pictured above at right are Jim Hayes, senior art handler and Barbara Duke, art handler securing one of the owls in place.

One Pair of Pegasi

This summer we cleaned the Four Pairs of Pegasi located along the staircase by the staff entrance. The Pegasi were originally made for the Coney Island High Pressure Pumping Station at 2301 Neptune Avenue. The horses were brought to the Museum in March of 1981 as a result of Project S.A.V.E. of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The horses are carved from limestone of the oolitic variety as many seashells are evident within the body of the stone.

The Pegasi were placed in their current location on concrete pedestals in 2004. Regular maintenance on the Pegasi began last summer when the conservators cleaned them to remove dirt, pollutants and biological growth. Cleaning involved gently scrubbing the horses with water and a detergent. Following cleaning, a biocide was applied to further remove the existing biological growth.

Pegasus Before Treatment (left) and After Treatment (right) in 2006

It was hoped that this biocide would serve to reduce the reoccurrence of biological growth over the next few years, and so far it seemed to have worked fairly well! When examined this summer, the Pegasi appeared to have much less biological growth present. The treatment this summer was identical to last summer – cleaning with a detergent and application of a biocide. It is hoped that the Pegasi are able to be cleaned on a fairly regular basis – about every two summers.

Maintenance 2007: (Left Image) Kate Wight, a summer intern from the Winterthur / University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, (Right Image) Emy Kim, Brooklyn’s Third Year Intern from the NYU Program in Art Conservation and Chris Watters, a summer intern from the Buffalo Program in Art Conservation

Although it is impossible to completely halt changes to sculptures which are displayed outdoors, a regular maintenance program can help to protect the works from significant deterioration caused by atmospheric pollution. Deposits of soil and pollutants from the air support the growth of fungal cells on porous stone sculpture such as limestone. Once begun, the roots of such growth penetrate the stone causing staining and if left untreated complete destruction of the stone itself. Regular maintenance to remove these harmful materials will help to preserve the works for future generations.