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I
was asked to treat Self Portrait in preparation for the National Gallery
of Art (D.C.) exhibition Outliers and American Vanguard Art (January 28-
May 13, 2018). Although the painting was in stable condition, much of the
surface was disfigured by drying cracks. Additionally, some of these cracks had
old and discolored retouching. Due to a limiting time-frame of two weeks, my
treatment would only involve toning down the cracks using a reversible medium
so that viewers could appreciate the painting without being distracted by the
extreme amount of cracking. I had to find the right balance of only retouching
enough to make the cracks less disfiguring but not overwork any one area too
much.
In
order to avoid disrupting surface coatings, I decided to use a water-based
inpainting system. After trying gouache and watercolors, which were too matte,
I tried GOLDEN QoR colors. QoR colors use Aquazol (Poly[2-ethyl-2-oxazoline])
as the binder making them soluble in a wide range of solvents, including water.
They impart a nice level of gloss and transparency, making them a good choice
for this project.
In
addition to being a very satisfying treatment to complete, I was happy to work
on a painting made by a self taught artist. I am proud to work in an
institution that includes and celebrates artists from different backgrounds and
look forward to continuing my internship at MoMA.
— Diana Hartman, WUDPAC Class of 2018