Robert Rauchenberg, Interview, 1955

Conservation Project of Robert Rauschenberg’s “Interview”

The conservation project focused on the famous 1955 combine painting “Interview” by Robert Rauschenberg, preserved at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. The artwork is a complex multi-material structure incorporating oil paint, found drawings, fabric, wood, and various three-dimensional objects, including a brick suspended by a string. The intervention became necessary following an accident that compromised the structural integrity and safety of the suspended elements.

Damage Assessment and Technical Analysis

The main focus of the structural conservation was the suspended brick element, which had suffered from a failure of its original support system. Conservators analyzed the remaining original fragments of the string and the previous anchoring mechanism to understand its historical configuration. It was determined that a dual approach was required: restoring the original aesthetic appearance while introducing a completely new, secure anchoring system to prevent any future falls that could cause irreversible damage to the brick or the underlying wood structure.

Conservation Treatments and Structural Re-engineering

The stabilization and restoration of the brick assembly followed strict museum standards of reversibility and minimal visual impact through several precise steps:

• Reconnection of Original Elements: the fragments of the original string were carefully reassembled and reattached using Paraloid B-72, a specialized conservation acrylic resin chosen to guarantee maximum reversibility and flexibility.
• Implementation of the New Anchor System: to fully secure the weight of the brick, a modern high-strength system was integrated based on extensive preliminary simulations. This system utilizes a polyester multifilament string capable of supporting a tensile strength of over 120 lbs, paired with a specialized hook featuring a cable safety block and safety lock.
• Surface Protection and Toning: silicone tubes were applied to the corners of the brick to protect them against localized friction and stress from the cables. Once installed, the new high-strength string was toned down using a delicate application of watercolor and acrylic paint to integrate it visually and mitigate its presence next to the original components.