#stringari

Deputy Director and Chief Conservator Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York, New York guggenheim.org

Photo by David Heald, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

SPECIAL GUEST SERIES

Lena (Carol) Stringari serves as deputy director and chief conservator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. In this role, she works closely with the conservation and curatorial staff to identify research initiatives and priorities for collections care, as well as the treatment, safe transport and installation of works for both domestic and international exhibitions. Lena was a member of the Guggenheim team who conceived of the Variable Media Initiative, an early and then innovative exploration of media artworks and their preservation. She was co-curator of an exhibition related to this initiative entitled Seeing Double: Emulation in Theory and Practice in 2004. In addition, Lena has carried out research and treatment on a wide range of artworks including those by Vincent Van Gogh, László Moholy-Nagy, Robert Ryman, Alberto Burri, Eva Hesse, and Ad Reinhardt. In 2008, she curated an exhibition entitled Imageless, highlighting a long-term research project on the scientific analysis and experimental laser treatment of a damaged study painting by Ad Reinhardt. Lena is a founding member of the International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art; adjunct professor at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; and has lectured throughout the world on ethical considerations and the conservation of contemporary art. She earned a BA in art history from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MS from the art conservation program at Winterthur Museum, University of Delaware. In an earlier post, Lena also worked at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as a paintings conservator. When she’s not working, you can find her creating sculpture, gardening, watching films, and studying architecture and design. Lena resides in Washington Heights with an unobstructed view of the Palisades.

FAVORITES  

Books:  I love books. I have hundreds of books waiting to be read.  And I am terrible at choosing just one. A few favorites: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov; Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein; anything by Joyce Carol Oates, and spy novels, there are too many to choose from.

Destinations:   Southern India; Hotelito Desconocido in La Cruz de Loreto, Mexico; and Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

Motto:   Reinvent yourself every day.

Sanctuary: I find sanctuary though Kundalini practice at Esalen in Big Sur, California.

THE QUERY 

Where were you born?  

I was born in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey.

What were some of the passions and pastimes of your earlier years?

Reading, reading, reading, painting, writing, fashion, sewing, swimming (both in pools and blue holes), and biking.  

What is your first memory of art as an experience?

My first memory of art as an experience was from The Barn Studio of Art in Millville, New Jersey, where I studied drawing and painting as a young girl – closely observing the natural world with the exceptional teacher and landscape artist, Pat Witt.

How did you begin to realize your intrigue with the restoration and preservation of artworks?

I began to foster my interest in restoration and preservation while practicing as a painter and sculptor, and studying art history and communications at the University of Pennsylvania. I had always loved to work with my hands, but I was also fascinated with physics and science in general.  My path was circuitous and fortuitous. I moved to Florence, Italy, where I supported my artwork by working in a commercial restoration studio. My proximity to important historical artifacts was intriguing, and I was overwhelmed with the vast artistic genius surrounding me in Italy. At that time, I decided that there was far too much mediocre art in the world. I didn’t want to add to that, and henceforth, my artistic endeavors shifted to preserving what I felt was most important to humanity. I returned to the United States to obtain an MS in art conservation and the rest is history.

Why does this form of artistic expression suit you?

After several decades as a hands-on conservator, I am now primarily in an administrative position at the Guggenheim, so I would not consider what I do to be “artistic expression,” although I do believe that my work is creative. Currently I am most interested in exploring where disciplines overlap and looking at the bigger picture. How do the fields of art and science speak to each other? What does cultural heritage mean for us as human beings? Why do we preserve the past? How can we open a dialogue about material culture with teens and young people who live their lives immersed in a digital world?

What led to your current position with the Guggenheim Museum in 1992?

I initially accepted a position at the Guggenheim in order to work on the implementation team for the construction and inaugural exhibition of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. After working on that project from 1992-1997, I shifted my focus to the collection here in New York, primarily contemporary works and the ethics of preservation involved in time-based media and unconventional art materials. Exhibition installations and materials research took me all over the world from 1997-2004. I became senior conservator for contemporary art, then chief conservator and finally, my current position of deputy director and chief conservator, which comprises  oversight of collection care and preservation, fundraising, strategic planning, and working with the executive cabinet to plan, prioritize, and set goals for programming and fulfillment of the foundation’s mission.

How would you describe a typical day-in-the-life at the Museum?

No day is typical. That is something I love about my job.

What are the key steps involved in the restoration process of a damaged painting? 

Research, close observation, scientific analysis, critical thinking, excellent hand skills, dialogue, and comparative viewing.

How do chemical and physical tests factor into the restoration and preservation strategy?

A key component of what conservators do involves the interweaving of technical art history, visual observation and analytical testing, all of which inform any hands-on treatment or preservation strategy.

What challenges did you meet in overseeing the restoration of Jackson Pollock’s Alchemy?

Overseeing any restoration requires close observation, historical research, and fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together. I enjoy working with and learning from my colleagues who are all  talented experts in their disciplines. We discuss the protocols and strategies for analysis and treatment. With the recent Jackson Pollock Alchemy treatment, which was carried out by our conservator at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, my oversight involved the discussion of ethics and criteria, protocols for cleaning, and interpretation of the scientific data collected. I also co-curated an exhibition. presently on view in the Sackler Center for Education, which illustrates the rich historical research, scientific analysis, and treatment of Alchemy. This project involved collaboration with my colleagues at the Peggy Guggenheim as well as the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence; an exemplary model of art historians, conservators, and scientists working together to inform the treatment of this iconic work.

Where have your travels taken you throughout the years in working on Museum projects/initiatives?

Various research projects, courier trips, oversight of installations, reviewing sites for exhibitions, and lectures/symposia have taken me throughout the world. I have traveled extensively through all of Europe, Asia, and many places in the United States, Canada, and Central America. Additionally, I have spent considerable time in Bilbao and Venice, both wonderful places with great museums and excellent food!

What one trip/destination remains most memorable to this day?

My most memorable trip was to the Soviet Union in 1991, immediately before the dissolution. It was quite intense.

Is there a period in your life that has presented an important learning curve?

Each period in my life represents a different type of learning curve. Growing up in the “boonies,” so to speak, required a very steep learning curve. As a first generation student at the University of Pennsylvania, I had to move quickly to catch up to my peers and find my voice. After many years in the field, I find myself at a moment of reinvention. I am seeking to do things that bring me joy, improve my listening skills and tolerance, and draw upon my creativity to engender new initiatives that shatter assumptions.

How would you describe your creative process?

My creative process unfolds late at night. It is a wonderful time to ruminate and reflect in total silence: no calls, no e-mails, no interruptions.

Do you have a favorite artistic resource that you turn to? 

Art - the physical manifestation.

From where do you draw inspiration?

Children – I love their flexible minds and spirits. I am an activist when it comes to progressive education; I fear that education can kill the child’s sense of wonder. I volunteer and support creative endeavors for education and young children in the inner city, such as Time-in Children’s Arts Initiative. My own children are grown now, but they have taught me so much about myself and the world around me.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Listening is one of the most important life skills…be conscious, non-judgmental, and practice empathic listening.  

Is there a book or film that has changed you?

Once again, I find it difficult to choose one – I love films by and about strong women. Frida (2002), Thelma and Louise (1991), and Safe (1995). I also love the quiet nostalgia of Tarkovsky films.

Whom in your life would you like to thank, and for what?

I would like to thank my mother, whom I never knew, but her death when I was an infant contributed to my zest for life, my resilience, and my complete and total adoration and appreciation for my own daughters.

What drives you these days?