During my internship at the Center for Architectural Conservation (CAC), I had the privilege of working with the Philadelphia Magic Garden (PMG) and the CAC team. My work focused on the conservation of mosaics, the work of renowned artist Isaiah Zagar. Conservation includes on-site mosaic fabrication and restoration cleaning, as well as photo and documentation work.
One of my main tasks was to participate in the daily restoration work as part of the PMG conservation team. I learned a lot from how to identify and record deterioration, to understanding and participating in the restoration of a mosaic wall, to being handson in the entire process of making an entire mosaic wall. PMG has their own approach when it comes to restoring mosaic walls. They leave as many unique tiles as possible and clean the wall. The special tiles will be placed in their original positions during the restoration process, but the others are randomly replaced with new ones. Not exactly the same restoration, but keeping the same style as the original. And even more fortunately, we were also involved in making the new doily tile and the entire process of making the mosaic on Kater Street, the back wall of the PMG, from applying the tiles to plastering the cement. In addition to the field conservation work, I also worked with team members to document the Zagar mosaics. We used a painters’ pole to take photos of mosaic wall. And then, Agisoft software was used to develop calibrated image and point cloud models to document the large mosaic walls. These models help to develop accurate conservation planning and a long-term monitoring system. We also carefully documented the mosaic tiles and attempted to organize them into a structured database that will serve as a resource for future restoration efforts. We also organize mosaic schedules and create visual timelines.
From in-class knowledge to practical application, I was able to utilize the skills I learned in my courses, especially Digital Media course. Throughout the internship, I increased my proficiency with digital tools such as Agisoft for creating 3D models and rectified images, as well as Timeline JS for visualizing different historical themes and project timelines. Additionally, the conservation of the Zagar mosaics, as a specific artistic context, brought a field understanding of the Theories course. One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship was the opportunity to network with professionals in the field, especially artist Isaiah Zagar, who we were fortunate enough to speak with and receive guidance on the mosaic creation process. I also gained a better understanding of the art environment and the preservation of such sites from communicating with the PMG team, especially Emily Smith and Stacey Holder.
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