Project Summary:

Jean Goehring’s large painting Tomorrow was brought to our studio after a moving truck accident. The original 96” x 76” stretcher had been completely destroyed and the thin canvas was ripped and torn in multiple locations. We interviewed the artist to learn more about his process and consult with him on the aesthetic implications of treatment decisions. Goehring painted Tomorrow using acrylic paint and asphaltum on an actively used dropcloth he obtained from painting contractors. The artist confirmed that the central large tear, some small scattered tears, and the iron staining and general worn appearance were original to the piece, but the perimeter tears were sustained during the accident.

Loose dust and debris were reduced on both sides using a brush and light vacuum suction followed by vulcanized rubber soot sponges as needed. Folds and canvas distortions were brought into plane through humidification and gentle pressure during drying. The 14 tears that were deemed to be non-original collectively spanned over 50 inches, and were mended using reversible materials. Finally, we re-stretched the painting onto a new, custom-built stretcher with a polyester loose lining fabric. A loose lining is not glued to the original painting canvas, but is stretched behind the painting to provide additional support to the thin and weakened canvas, and minimize canvas movement during handling and transit.