Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

IMAGELESS: Findings of Pioneering AXA Art Conservation Research Project on View at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Exhibition Opens July 11, 2008

NEW YORK – AXA Art Insurance Corporation is pleased to announce its support of ‘IMAGELESS: The Scientific Study and Experimental Treatment of an Ad Reinhardt Black Painting’, an exhibition on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from July 11 through September 14, 2008.

IMAGELESS presents the findings of the AXA Art Conservation Research Project in conjunction with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art. In commenting on the significance of IMAGELESS, Christiane Fischer, CEO of AXA Art, U.S. offered the following statement, “We are pleased to have catalyzed this pioneering 7-year conservation research project. It is our hope that the findings and documentation will lead to new directions in preserving the legacy of monochromatic and minimalist paintings, so that their beauty and relevance may be shared and understood by future generations”.

IMAGELESS grew out of a donation by AXA Art to the Guggenheim of a severely damaged Black Painting by Ad Reinhardt (1913-1967) for research study. The fragile surface of the Reinhardt painting had been marred by scratches, abrasions, and a stain during transit. The damages were treated by conservators, but the end result was considered unsuccessful and the painting was deemed a total loss. AXA Art paid the owner the agreed-upon value of the painting and put it into storage.

Following the damage and loss of Black Painting, issues of the conservation and preservation of modern works made from non-traditional materials as well as works with extremely fragile surfaces were debated internally at AXA Art. At issue were the assessments of the insurability of such works of art and conservation strategies for the notoriously fragile surfaces of minimalist and monochromatic paintings.

Carol Stringari, Chief Conservator of the Guggenheim Museum, served as the foci for the research project. She had worked on an Ad Reinhardt exhibition previously held at MoMA, and, still steeped in Reinhardt’s paintings, was passionately enthusiastic about the prospect of learning even more about their care and conservation. Stringari led a collaborative team of conservators, scientists, curators, and artists to carry out a complete physical examination and scientific analysis of Black Painting. What started out as the donation of an unsalvageable painting to a museum for research turned into an unprecedented exploration of experimental treatment directly on a damaged, historically significant Ad Reinhardt monochromatic painting? The AXA Art Conservation Research Project led to the creation of a dossier of information about Reinhardt’s working methods and experimental conservation techniques used on the painting.

The AXA Art Conservation Research Project in conjunction with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art became the forerunner of the global AXA Art Research Grant, which is now awarded for examination and study of conservation that promises long-term contribution to preserving cultural assets for future generations. The initial AXA Art Research Grant was made to the Vitra Museum in Germany and focused on the study of the material qualities and life expectancy of design objects made of plastic. The second project, the Tate AXA Art Modern Paints Project focuses on the material qualities and aging of acrylic paints.

There were several revelations during the course of the AXA Art Conservation Research Project including findings about Reinhardt’s techniques and the very specific history of over painting of this particular study painting. The technical breakthroughs, the historical context of the Black Paintings within Ad Reinhardt’s oeuvre, and the ethical, philosophical, and conceptual considerations prompted by this research are all described in a forthcoming co-publication of AXA Art and the Guggenheim Museum.

IMAGELESS opens July 11, 2008 and remains on view through September 14, 2008 at the Guggenheim, 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street). The exhibition is organized by Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s Conservation Center in collaboration with the Sackler Center for Arts Education and is made possible with generous support from AXA Art Insurance Corporation. The AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Equitable has also provided additional support for this exhibition.

Web site: http://www.axa-art.com/

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