National Clothesline

“Restore it but don’t clean it” was the charge given to the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute by the Smithsonian when it delivered a section of The Running Fence to DLI as part of preparations for an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The Running Fence, a four-year project by the husband and wife team of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, spanned 24.5 miles of the California landscape in the 1970s. The 18-foot high fabric fence, made of nylon fabric, supported by steel posts and cables, ran across the hills of Sonoma and Marin counties, beginning near U.S. Highway 101 and crossing 14 roads and the properties of 59 ranchers before it reached the Pacific Ocean near Bodega Bay.

The finished fence was in place for just two weeks in 1976 although it was four years in the making, a process that included seeking permission of the property owners and governmental agencies and filing a 450-page environmental impact statement. Christo and Jeanne-Claude bore the entire expense of the project.

Beginning in April, The Running Fence will be seen again, although not in its full 24-mile glory. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is preparing an exhibit that will include a scale model, preparatory drawings, photographs documenting the fence’s construction and a new film, “The Running Fence at 33.” Components of the fence will also be featured, and it was a 68 x 18-ft. panel of the fence that DLI was called upon to restore.

When the fence was dismantled, pieces of it were given to the landowners who had consented to let it run across their properties. But at least part of it was saved for posterity and was acquired by the Smithsonian in 2008. When preparations began for the exhibit, it was discovered that during 33 years in storage the copper grommets through which the steel cables had passed were corroded. The corrosion left blue-green stains on the fabric.

DLI donated technical knowledge along with its professional cleaning and restoration services to the Smithsonian for the project. The blue-green stains were removed and the corroded copper grommets were restored to their original appearance.

“Restoring the panel wasn’t a difficult job, but it was tedious,” said Brian Johnson, DLI’s director of technical services. “The task was to remove the blue-green contamination but leave the environmental soiling. The environmental soiling was part of the history of the piece, so we left it intact. It was fun to touch a little piece of history.”

Due to its size, working on the item and shipping it back and forth from the Smithsonian to DLI was a task all its own. The panel was rolled up on an oversized foil-wrapped tube to protect the artwork. Once rolled up, the tube was packed in a long cardboard carton. Another foil-coated tube accompanied the carton and served as a take-up reel.

When DLI technicians completed work on one section of the panel, they rolled the finished area onto the take-up tube. Thus they were able to restore each grommet without spreading the entire 68-foot panel across the lab area.

When packing the panel for its return to the Smithsonian, DLI ensured that each grommet was separated from the canvas by placing barriers between the grommets and the surface to prevent further self-staining.

“I found it to be an enjoyable experience from start to finish,” said Jim Kirby, a DLI analyst. “I enjoyed the fact that I was working on a piece of living art that was unusual in its conception, design, and application. I’m looking forward to seeing it on display.”

According to the Smithsonian, “The Running Fence is not only a story of the inexhaustible perseverance of two artists over nearly insurmountable odds to create a temporary artwork of joy and beauty, but also the story of the people, places, and events that would become what is known as Running Fence.”

The Running Fence exhibit will open at the American Art Museum in Washington, DC, April 2 and run through September 26.



								National Clothesline


						Bringing Christo’s fence back to life








						“Restore it but don’t clean it” was the charge given to the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute by the Smithsonian when it delivered a section of The Running Fence to DLI as part of preparations for an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The Running Fence, a four-year project by the husband and wife team of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, spanned 24.5 miles of the California landscape in the 1970s. The 18-foot high fabric fence, made of nylon fabric, supported by steel posts and cables, ran across the hills of Sonoma and Marin counties, beginning near U.S. Highway 101 and crossing 14 roads and the properties of 59 ranchers before it reached the Pacific Ocean near Bodega Bay. The finished fence was in place for just two weeks in 1976 although it was four years in the making, a process that included seeking permission of the property owners and governmental agencies and filing a 450-page environmental impact statement. Christo and Jeanne-Claude bore the entire expense of the project. Beginning in April, The Running Fence will be seen again, although not in its full 24-mile glory. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is preparing an exhibit that will include a scale model, preparatory drawings, photographs documenting the fence’s construction and a new film, “The Running Fence at 33.” Components of the fence will also be featured, and it was a 68 x 18-ft. panel of the fence that DLI was called upon to restore. When the fence was dismantled, pieces of it were given to the landowners who had consented to let it run across their properties. But at least part of it was saved for posterity and was acquired by the Smithsonian in 2008. When preparations began for the exhibit, it was discovered that during 33 years in storage the copper grommets through which the steel cables had passed were corroded. The corrosion left blue-green stains on the fabric. DLI donated technical knowledge along with its professional cleaning and restoration services to the Smithsonian for the project. The blue-green stains were removed and the corroded copper grommets were restored to their original appearance. “Restoring the panel wasn’t a difficult job, but it was tedious,” said Brian Johnson, DLI’s director of technical services. “The task was to remove the blue-green contamination but leave the environmental soiling. The environmental soiling was part of the history of the piece, so we left it intact. It was fun to touch a little piece of history.” Due to its size, working on the item and shipping it back and forth from the Smithsonian to DLI was a task all its own. The panel was rolled up on an oversized foil-wrapped tube to protect the artwork. Once rolled up, the tube was packed in a long cardboard carton. Another foil-coated tube accompanied the carton and served as a take-up reel. When DLI technicians completed work on one section of the panel, they rolled the finished area onto the take-up tube. Thus they were able to restore each grommet without spreading the entire 68-foot panel across the lab area. When packing the panel for its return to the Smithsonian, DLI ensured that each grommet was separated from the canvas by placing barriers between the grommets and the surface to prevent further self-staining. “I found it to be an enjoyable experience from start to finish,” said Jim Kirby, a DLI analyst. “I enjoyed the fact that I was working on a piece of living art that was unusual in its conception, design, and application. I’m looking forward to seeing it on display.” According to the Smithsonian, “The Running Fence is not only a story of the inexhaustible perseverance of two artists over nearly insurmountable odds to create a temporary artwork of joy and beauty, but also the story of the people, places, and events that would become what is known as Running Fence.” The Running Fence exhibit will open at the American Art Museum in Washington, DC, April 2 and run through September 26.