Fine art conservation and restoration is a necessary part of the professional services within the art field. Many fields of interest require professional art conservation services which include: large and (very) small museums, art collectors, government collections and public art maintenance, auction houses, historical societies, corporate collections… and the world of private people who inherit wonderful possessions from the past.
But there are other surprising “issues” that art conservators get dragged into: legal testimony for probate, legal testimony for public art conflicts, authentication questions and efforts, legal testimony for insurance matters, work with insurance companies on disaster planning and mitigation, designing emergency preparedness plans for collections, accompanying high value items to new locations for exhibitions, acquisition consulting for private and public institutions, consultant for architects working in historic preservation, planning and guiding preservation measures for historic sites undergoing renovation, consultation on lighting issues, consultation on shipping issues, consultation on storage issues, art history research, consulting on art related issues for the media… and much more.
I am seeking to confirm whether a mural painted in Isla Vista @ 1982 by the late realist painter Samizu Matsuki inside a building in Isla Vista still exists.
The building still stands. In 1982 it was the Shibuki Gardens Spa
It is at 6576 Trigo Rd, Isla Vista, The building has gone through several other uses since then. An aerial shows the old outdoor hot tubs have rubble in them.
According to a friend of hers, Samizu’s mural was on the left side once you entered the spa building.
Here is a link to a jpeg of a graph paper study she did planning the mural http://samizu.com/chronology/1982/samizu_sketch_1982_shibuki_gardens_island_vista_california_mural.jpg.
As it is very likely to have been papered or painted over we don’t expect to really see it. Though I understand there is a type of photography that can peer through layers of paint. We it possible to user such a tech to unearth even a tiny portion of the mural, that would be sufficient to verify it was actually painted.
Please let me know your thoughts or suggestions.
Best wishes,
Ron Huber
Rockland, Maine
I have a painting of my mother at age 13-14 by her uncle, Antonin Sterba, a well known 20th century Chicago portrait artist. He was a faculty member at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art. He painted my mother’s portrait in the 1920- 1930’s. It had been damaged and improperly stored by a family member when I got it in 1978. I had it restored in 1979. It was a disaster. I have been told it is not possible to undo the terrible work. I just watched the video of your work at the Riverside Mission Inn and am encouraged to try again to have it recovered. How does one make arrangements with your laboratory?
Phillip, Let talk on the phone. I’m actually going to be in your area Thurs. My mobile is 805 570 4140
TTYS
Scott