Meet Sophie Barbisan, the associate paper conservator at SLAM! Sophie worked on an extensive conservation treatment for a new work on view in our American galleries this year, Birth Certificate by Conrad Gilbert.

Unlike certain paintings or sculptures that can stay in our galleries for a long period, museums can only display artworks on paper for a short amount of time. Because paper is sensitive to light, discoloration or faded media can happen when works on paper are displayed for a longer time. To avoid this, artworks are regularly rotated.

The conservation treatment for this work consisted of stabilizing the cracking media, repairing tears, and filling in losses in an aesthetic manner. Gilbert's Birth Certificate is now restored and on view in Gallery 338!