Highlights from the Permanent Collection: "Medicine Woman" by Beverly Buchanan

Beverly Buchanan died in 2015, but her art lives on. Born in Fuquay, North Carolina, in 1940, she pursued a career in science and medicine, with master’s degrees in parasitology and public health from Columbia University, New York. In the early 1970s, she shifted to a different path, studying at the Art Students League and beginning to make paintings and sculptures in a variety of media. Her success, especially with her series of works depicting shacks in the rural South, led her to pursue art full time and move back to the South. Among other places, she lived in Athens, Georgia, from 1987 to 2003.

Installation view of "Medicine Woman" at Brooklyn Museum, 2016. Photo: Jonathan Dorado

"Medicine Woman" is gift from the artist, facilitated by her friend and fellow Athenian Prudence Lopp before Buchanan’s death. It stands out among her work even as it clearly comes from the same hand, for “Medicine Woman” is much larger than the scale at which Buchanan usually worked. It uses found objects as in her other sculptures, but in wider variety, and she applied copious decoration to the figure, which also has a name: Evelyn.

In 1993, the artist wrote: “I was always looking for something for ‘HER.’ Something to add and mix [to this] ‘Healer.’” The sculpture took the artist almost seven months to complete and includes wood, glass, textile, paper, plastic, paint, stone, ceramic, foam core, masking tape, metal wire and aluminum foil. Some of these objects were adhered with glue that was failing regularly, but Buchanan was elderly and unable to perform the conservation herself. For this reason, "Medicine Woman" has never been on view at the Georgia Museum of Art. When the Brooklyn Museum approached the Georgia Museum of Art about borrowing “Medicine Woman” for its large retrospective exhibition “Beverly Buchanan—Ruins and Rituals,” which closed earlier this month, its staff agreed to cover the costs of conservation.

Amy Jones Abbe (pictured left), a professional conservator based in Athens who has performed conservation on many other objects for the Georgia Museum of Art, agreed to undertake the job. Working from a few historic photographs and consulting extensively with Shawnya Harris, the museum’s Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, Jones Abbe first stabilized the sculpture and then used different glues to reattach objects that had fallen off. She then added a few minimally invasive screws and a piece of heat-treated pine
to hold the work firmly in place. A bit of sleuthing allowed her and Harris to determine where nearly every detached element had been placed originally and, essentially, put the jigsaw puzzle back together. Jones Abbe’s painstaking work should pay dividends, not only for visitors to the Brooklyn Museum, but also for future visitors to the Georgia Museum of Art, where “Medicine Woman” can now be displayed.

The Power of Preservation

Mary Franklin, an Athens native, was born on February 25, 1842. Throughout her lengthy career as an artist, Franklin trained all over the United States and in Paris. After decades of being a student, Ms. Franklin She eventually returned to her roots and taught with the Athens Art Association in Peabody Hall. She loved the University of Georgia so much that, upon her death, in 1928, she donated her entire estate to the school.  Part of this donation included a series of paintings that were hung throughout campus.

Some of Franklin’s works were hung in Soule Hall, where they were respected and admired for many years. During World War II, Soule Hall changed from a women’s dorm to a school for the navy, and the paintings were put into storage.

In the 1970s, these paintings reappeared at the Georgia Museum of Art, with little paperwork. While they had been cared for at one time, they did not arrive unblemished. The paintings suffered from surface loss, cracks, stains and unstable frames with gaping holes. Fortunately, they were about to have a change in luck.

This good fortune came in the form of Hildegard Timberlake, 92, and her son, Tom, 52. Ms. Timberlake had been both the editor and president of the Art Association over the years, and Tom shared her love of the arts. The pair wanted to do something about the condition of Franklin’s prized paintings and decided to make the admirable commitment to restore them to their former glory. They hoped to have the rest of the world enjoy the paintings as they had and found a way to sponsor the conservation.

“My favorite painting is ‘Nomad,’” said Hildegard. “‘Nomad’ is compelling because she acts as a caretaker. But a caretaker of what? Is it nature, is it history, is it political, or is it bonds to the family? The purpose of the caretaker is suggested but not imposing. Mary Franklin's composition of the painting is well done. The color theory is well applied, even outstanding, with its blending method. The expression of the caretaker is sincere with some pride looking down on the observer. Shadows reflect the observance of nature, climate and sunshine. Her body structure shows that she is carrying a burden, but is ready to carry it with pride and strength. A great painting!”

Susan Jones, a conservator from Atlanta, restored the paintings. Jones has a range of experience working with older paintings, including one by Klaus Molenear, a 17th-century Dutch artist. She explained both the challenges and rewards of conserving the Mary Franklin paintings: “Outside of getting the paintings stabilized, I would say that the texture of the canvas was the most difficult part. [Franklin] used a very heavy linen, and although she did not mind putting paint on the canvas, it still left a very rough texture and was a challenge to clean. Aside from that, I loved finally getting down to the original vibrant colors that she used and seeing the paintings come to life.”

“Nomad,” the largest of the paintings, was the first to be restored. The Timberlakes provided funding, and the museum sent the framed painting to Jones in Atlanta. “Nomad” came back in incredible form, and the Timberlakes decided to fund the conservation of another painting from the series, “Tunisian Perfume Market.” The two restored paintings were publicly unveiled and put on temporary display for others to enjoy for the first time in more than 40 years.

Visitors, students and scholars at the Georgia Museum of Art are now able to enjoy the work of Mary Franklin due to the contributions and dedication of the Timberlake family. Franklin gave the University of Georgia the gift of her works, and the Timberlake family gave the gift of preservation, a gift that will last for years.

Hildegard Timberlake's deep affection for the paintings of Mary Franklin caused her to donate funds for the conservation of two paintings in the permanent collection. At this event, the results were shared with the Timberlakes, museum supporters and staff. May 21, 2015.

Elephant Parade 2010

Image from the Daily Telegraph: http://bit.ly/aytdpE

260 colorful elephants have invaded London. Elephant Parade has begun.

Elephant Family, the only charity dedicated to protecting the endangered Asian elephant, is sponsoring the event to fundraise and increase awareness. This year is the first for Elephant Parade to occur in London. The event has previously been held in Holland and in Belgium.

The event includes hand-painted, life-size elephant statues by artists including Marc Quinn, designer Diane Von Furstenberg and Lulu Guinness, which have been placed in such landmarks as Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square, making the capital an “urban jungle.” In July, they will migrate together to another outdoor location for an exhibition.

Sotheby's will auction off the elephants at what will be “the party of the season.” Funds raised by Elephant Parade will go toward purchasing wildlife habitat to give Asian elephants a better future, as they are now facing extinction. Funds will also be used for community and education projects in Asia.

Elephant Family not only promotes conservation in Asia, but has also worked to make the event itself eco-friendly. All elephants were delivered to artists and designers on a sustainable basis and artists must use eco-friendly paint for their works.

Blogging the Restoration

We read this story in Art Daily a while ago about the restoration of Vincent Van Gogh's painting "The Bedroom," which is being blogged about regularly, but we hate to link to a blog until it has at least a couple of posts up. By this point, there's plenty to read on the site, which is amusingly titled "Bedroom secrets," from discussion of the preliminary examination of the painting to sources on it (previous versions, a letter Van Gogh wrote about it to his brother Theo) to consideration of the most frequently used materials in painting. It's a neat way to approach a highly technical subject.

Brazilian designers are thinking differently about natural resources

The forests of Brazil’s central coast are home to large root networks of pequi trees, which can grow up to 30 feet tall and bear flowers and fruit. The wood of the pequi tree is oily, textured and difficult to cut, so it was never used for industrial purposes and many of its logs and roots were left behind after loggers and farmers cleared the forests.

Designer Hugo França has discovered that he can use pequi tree roots and logs in his designs. França has produced about 60 benches (photo below) and tables from the material for Inhotim Institute, a 3,000-acre outdoor museum a few hours from Rio de Janeiro. Each bench can sell for $95,000. Collector Bernando Paz said that the pieces are “carefully crafted” and that “nothing like this will ever exist again.”

ELDERTH THEZA/INHOTIM INSTITUTE, BRUMADINHO, BRAZIL

The pequi tree pieces are not only beautiful, but also sustainable. The most endangered resource of the country is its tropical forests. Since the 1980s, environmental laws and protections have caused designers to think differently when it comes to finding materials.  The use of pequi trees and other found wood is an example of sustainability because an otherwise unused material now has a purpose in design. 

Carlos Motta, a São Paulo architect and designer, used driftwood found on beaches to make tables and chairs in the 1970s. Arthur Casas relies on weathered planks for his furniture. José Zanine Caldas was one of the first to use found materials for design in the 1970s when he made stools and tables from pieces that timber companies had left behind.

França, Motta, Casas and Caldas have set a good example from which designers in other countries can learn: art and design can play a role in conservation. By using materials that would otherwise be abandoned, these designers are creating beautiful pieces without wasting vital natural resources.

Art Restoration

We joked yesterday on Twitter about hoping patrons try to keep their balance in the museum, despite the fact that there's no "you break it, you buy it" rule in place, but yesterday's New York Times has a great in-depth look at what, exactly, may have to be done to restore the early Picasso painting that was recently damaged at the Met. It's considerably more complicated than the layperson may realize, especially in cases where, as the article points out, multiple paintings may exist on the same canvas. Conservators and art restorers can do phenomenal things, but it's a rather involved process. Slate has different but equally interested details of some of what may be involved.

Connecting to Collections Forum: Day 2

[Top: Burchfield Penny Art Center, University at Buffalo; Bottom (added by popular demand, left to right): Susana Tejada, Albright-Knox; Lynn Boland, GMOA; Laura Anderson, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; Monument of Rick James.]

Today’s speakers at the IMLS’s Connecting to Collections Forum in Buffalo, NY really got to the heart of the topic at hand, discussing ways in which conservation serves communities. The buzz words today were “win-win,” and examples abounded of mutually beneficial partnerships and networks, such as the Regional Alliance for Preservation (geared towards museum professionals), and the Nebraska PBS station’s “Saving Your Treasures” program and website, which has a wealth of good, general information.

Following the talks, we went to the Burchfield Penney Art Center and participants had an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the forum’s presenters. I’m happy to report that I got some great advice on strategies to address some of our own conservation needs. I also left the forum with a stack of useful handouts—and a snazzy tote bag in which to carry them—along with a much larger rolodex than I had last week.

After the planned activities, I tagged along with some of my new friends for a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House Complex. With a major renovation project underway, and having just come from a forum on conservation, preservation, and restoration, I felt well primed to appreciate not only Wright’s design achievements, but also the tremendous yet rewarding efforts of the Martin House. After that, we toured a bit of the city and I was fortunate to have two of the best tour guides possible: Susana Tejada, Head of Research Resources at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and Lorna Peterson, Associate Professor in the Department of Library and Information Studies at Buffalo State College. Lorna, a Buffalo native as well as an astute historian, spoke about the city’s history with an ease that would make you think she’d lived here since its founding.

In addition to seeing some other architectural treasure like Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building, we made a brief trip to the Forest Lawn Cemetery. Millard Fillmore’s grave was impressive, but the highlight of the cemetery was definitely the tombstone of Rick James, Mr. Superfreak himself. There is an extremely goofy picture of me next to it striking a Rick James pose, but I can’t bring myself to post it. Maybe with a little prodding I could be persuaded to share.

Connecting to Collections Forum: Day 1

Today’s sessions at the Connecting to Collections Forum in Buffalo, NY were completely varied but consistently engaging, covering everything from “going green” to volunteerism. Much of it was “nuts and bolts,” so I won’t recount it all here, but if you’re interested, the talks will be available online at the IMLS website, as are previous forum sessions. There is also a great video making the case for the preservation and conservation of our cultural heritage that you can watch here.

As one of today’s speakers put it, “we understand the world through our images…and together we must preserve these extraordinary resources for future generations.” In their wisdom, the organizers of the forum made the best case for our cause--for me, anyway--by starting the day with docent-led tours of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, one of the nation’s great collections of modern and contemporary art. Seeing some modern art history college textbooks in the gift shop, I half-jokingly asked if they used them in lieu of a collections catalogue. They do not, but appreciated the joke anyway.

First post / Connecting to Collections Forum, Buffalo, NY

For my inaugural blog post I would like to start by thanking the entire GMOA staff and community of volunteers for helping make my first month here so pleasant and productive. I'm off to Buffalo, NY this afternoon for the Connecting to Collections Forum, “Stewardship of America’s Legacy: Answering the Call to Action,” a Leadership Initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, organized in cooperation with Heritage Preservation. More posts on the forum will follow in the coming days.