2017 WAAC - Psychedelic Solutions: Unconventional Exhibition Displays for The Summer of Love
Channel: J. Willard Marriott Library
Date: 10/10/2017

Psychedelic Solutions: Unconventional Exhibition Displays for Rock Posters and 2D Materials from The Summer of Love 
Anisha Gupta, Mellon Fellow in Paper Conservation, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Victoria Binder, Associate Paper Conservator, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Abstract
As museums shift to displaying works on paper in unconventional formats and on a larger scale, conservators are forced to create innovative and possibly untested solutions. This talk will discuss the mounting and installation of over 200 psychedelic rock posters for the exhibition The Summer of Love Experience at the de Young Museum. Since the curator and exhibition designer wanted to display the posters unframed, the paper conservation lab strived to come up with a solution that was safe for the objects but also feasible within the time frame and budget. We tested a variety of mounting methods and materials for different concepts, all of which will be outlined.

This exhibition also included the mounting and installation of a 21’ x 10’ billboard that consisted of fourteen individual screenprints. The goal of this project was to create a safe installation and display method for the billboard. This included treatment to stabilize the artwork and preparation to mount the billboard with hinges and magnets, working closely with the carpenters and mountmaker. 

Other challenges in this exhibition included determining how to display posters under flashing lights to simulate animation and creating a case that incorporated different material types such as thick illustration boards, printing plates, and acetate sheets and films.

Anisha Gupta Biography
Anisha Gupta is the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in paper conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She is a graduate of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation where she specialized in works on paper with a minor concentration in photographic materials. Her previous experience includes graduate internships at Tate, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Currently, Anisha serves on AIC's Equity and Inclusion Working Group.