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    The Story of Paint

    The Story of Paint

    While you may have admired a painting in the past, how often do you admire the paint itself? The science behind using and conserving different paints is Professor Patricia Smithen’s area of expertise.

    Interviewee Name: 
    Professor Patricia Smithen
    Topic: 
    The Story of Paint
    Podcast: 
    Blind Date with Knowledge, Season 1, Episode 05
    Interviewed by: 
    Barry Kaplan
    Air date on CFRC: 
    February 28, 2018
    Episode length: 
    16:20
    Academic areas: 

    Professor Patricia Smithen is an art conservator and Queen’s alumna who teaches in the Master of Art Conservation program at Queen’s. Prior to pursuing doctoral studies, she worked as a paintings conservator at the Canadian Conservation Institute, as a private practitioner in Montreal and at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and as the Conservator of Modern and Contemporary Paintings at the Tate Conservation Department. In this episode, Prof. Smithen describes what the “science” is behind art conservation, as well as the study of paint itself. Her research focuses on the use of acrylic paint in many settings, including by famous artists like Jackson Pollock. She also discusses the future of street art and the mediums used to create and preserve it, as well as the ethics of graffiti art.

    Please visit the Department of Art History and Art Conservation for more information about Prof. Smithen's research.

    The Story of Paint

    Season 1: Episode 05