AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Washington Color School painters Morris Louis (1912–1962) and Gene Davis (1920–1985) are part of a collective of abstract expressionists whose oeuvre is characterized by large-scale compositions, which feature vibrant paint colors and generous swaths of exposed canvas. Louis is known for his “Unfurled” series, which includes the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) painting: Beta Upsilon, 1960, Magna on canvas, 102½ x 243½ inches. Davis is known for his “Stripes” series, which includes the SAAM painting: Dr. Peppercorn, 1967, acrylic on canvas, 117 x 224 inches. These two raw/unprimed canvases are large-scale and posed notable challenges when the rolled paintings in storage had to be re-stretched for museum display.

Raw canvas is especially vulnerable to staining from accumulated surface grime, fabric oxidation, or interventive conservation treatment (wet cleaning, adhesive-based linings, addition of surface coatings, etc). Taking these concerns into account, a non-traditional edge-lining method was sought to provide adequate strength and stability for the tacking margins of Louis’s Beta Upsilon and Davis’s Dr. Peppercorn. After testing various hand-stitching techniques, it was determined that a customized sequence, based on stitches used in sailmaking, would provide the necessary support. The stitching sequence provides the strength of a zig-zag stitch, a running stitch, and a back stitch; without having to do the individual methods independent of one another. Since these two conservation treatments required a team of people to complete the work, consistency in the stitching was another essential component. Guideline markers were measured and drawn onto the edge-lining fabric to provide guidelines for the stitch height and maintain a straight edge for the stitching.

The hand-stitched edge-lining technique incorporated in the conservation treatment of Beta Upsilon and Dr. Peppercorn is adaptable for other modern and contemporary artworks with unprimed cotton duck canvases. In addition to reviewing this adaptive method for edge-lining, the authors will also provide other relevant planning techniques employed in the projects, including materials and custom-designed worktables to advise others in their logistical planning.