Protect and preserve: Contemporary art conservation

Issues relating to preservation and restoration are on my mind because I’ve just written an article for the July Rail about Imi Knoebel’s 1977 installation “24 Colors–For Blinky,” which has recently been restored and installed at Dia:Beacon. Check out NPR’s Science Friday to hear a story about painting preservation. “Light, temperature and air pollution can wreck works of art. How do museums protect and preserve artistic and historic artifacts for the ages? It’s a complicated field, including everything from studying the chemical makeup of paints to optimizing the temperature, humidity and lighting conditions in museum galleries. Timothy P. Whalen, director of the Getty Conservation Institute, and James Druzik, senior scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute, talk about the fine art of art preservation.” Listen here.