IMAGELESS grew out of a donation by AXA ART Insurance Corporation of a severely damaged Black Painting by Ad Reinhardt (1913-1967) to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and MoMA in New York. A collaborative team of conservators, scientists, curators, and artists carried out a complete physical examination and scientific analysis of the work. What started as the donation of an unsalvageable painting to a museum for research purposes turned into an unprecedented exploration of experimental treatment using laser technology on a damaged, historically significant Ad Reinhardt Black Painting.
The findings of this unusual project were exhibited to great acclaim at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from July 11 to September 14, 2008 and discussed at a scientific symposium that year. The study was published in Imageless, 2008.
For more information visit the Imageless Project page.
Above: Carol Stringari, Chief Conservator and Deputy Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Photo courtesy of David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.