An open lab for Joan Mitchell’s ‘Close’

At the Georgia Museum of Art, preservation has moved out of the back room and into the spotlight. This fall, visitors can watch Atlanta-based conservator Larry Shutts at work on Joan Mitchell’s ‘Close’ (1973), an abstract expressionist canvas beloved by audiences since the museum acquired it in 1974. The project, supported by a grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation as part of the artist’s centennial celebration, transforms conservation into a public-facing experience.

A “tune-up” for a landmark canvas

‘Close’ features darker passages that were showing signs of traction crackle, tiny fissures caused when thick layers of oil paint dry unevenly. In this case, primer beneath the surface absorbed more pigment than usual, making the cracks unstable and vulnerable to further damage.

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