The International Catalogue Raisonné Association (ICRA) is pleased to announce details of its fifth Annual Conference titled ‘On Paper’. The one-day event will be held on Tuesday 5 December 2023 from 9.00am (GMT) in the Lecture Theatre of The Royal Academy in London.
The keynote speaker is artist Claudette Johnson and the conference further presents unique perspectives from leading professionals in the field on all aspects of paper – from cataloguing, curating and conservation, to materials, techniques and artists’ innovative use of paper from Old Masters to present day. Providing deep insight into the questions and challenges posed by paper both as a support and medium, the impressive roster of speakers includes curators, gallerists, conservators, academics, authors and archivists from across the globe.
Beginning with A Brief History of Paper-Making with Susan Catcher (Senior Paper Conservator at the V&A, London), the conference will adopt an array of different perspectives on the history, development and potentialities of paper.
Many discussions offer a research-driven approach, with Gregory Rubenstein (Head of the Old Master Drawings Department at Sotheby’s) and Fabienne Ruppen (Assistant Curator at Kunstmuseum Basel) exploring The Art of Cataloguing Works on Paper. Using two case studies on Old Master drawings and Cezanne works on paper, the discussion reveals the most valuable cataloguing strategies to uncover the maximum information from a single sheet.
Furthermore, Rhea Blok (Curator at the Fondation Custodia, Paris) will deliver a talk on The Legacy of a Works on Paper Collector & Art Historian: Frits Lugt, who created the synonymous dictionary of collectors’ stamps that remains integral to researchers today.
Other conversations focus on specific mediums, with Spotlight on Pastel seeing Leila Survage (Paper Conservator at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) and Margaret Zayer (La Maison du Pastel, Paris) highlight the work of the oldest manufacturer of handmade pastels in the world and its wealth of technical and historic knowledge.
Similarly, Prints: The Unique Versus the Multiple places moderator Daniel F. Herrmann (Curator of Modern & Contemporary Projects at The National Gallery, London and author of the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Eduardo Paolozzi’s prints) in conversation with London-based print dealer Alan Cristea and Kari Greve (Conservator of Prints at National Museum Oslo and author of the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Nikolai Astrup’s prints).
The conference also considers the artist’s relationship with paper. Charting innovative usage of paper as an artistic support and medium over time, Pushing the Boundaries of Paper: Radical Approaches is moderated by art historian Yuval Etgar and features Claudine Grammont (Head of Cabinet d’art Graphique at Centre Pompidou, Paris) and Eric Robertson (Professor of Modern French Literary and Visual Culture at Royal Holloway, University of London).
Then, Rethinking the Role of Paper in an Artist’s Legacy considers the hierarchical status of paper within an artist’s oeuvre and the implications for its legacy. Led by Andrea Rose (Art historian and Editor of Leon Kossoff: Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings), panellists include: Adam Greenhalgh (Lead Author of the catalogue raisonné Mark Rothko: The Works on Paper and Associate Curator at The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC), Kira Kofoed (Head of Archives at Thorvaldsen Museum and Sewon Kang, Archivist at The Easton Foundation and the Louise Bourgeois Archive and Cataloguer, Louise Bourgeois: The Complete Prints & Books).
Artist Claudette Johnson, currently subject of a major solo exhibition at The Courtauld, will conclude with her keynote speech. Reflecting on her three-decade career where she has worked primarily on paper, she will reveal insights into her practice.
ICRA’s Annual Conference ‘On Paper’ is generously sponsored by the Tavolozza Foundation, Contemporary Editions, Christie’s, and the Degas Catalogue Raisonné Project.
