RESEARCH
LOTUS L. KANG
Museum of Modern Art Research Project - OngoingSupervised by Lee Ann Daffner
In 2025, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) acquired Molt (Toronto-Chicago-Woodridge-New York-Los Angeles-) by Lotus L. Kang into its permanent collection. Molt is an assembly of industrial-sized chromogenic film transparencies, magnets, cast aluminum, and steel. This work is defined by a critical material deviation in that after exposure, the photographic film remains unprocessed and unfixed. This deliberate instability is central to the work’s conception and interpretation, yet it presents unique challenges for its care and preservation. This research considers a technical analysis of the film materials of Molt, assessing the stability of the work in various environments, and establishing protocols for its exhibition, maintenance, and storage.
︎︎︎Read Surface Cleaning Research Proposal
︎︎︎Read Treatment Report
SALTED PAPER DEVELOPED-OUT PRINTS
WUDPAC Second Year Scientific Research ProjectSupervised by Dr. Jocelyn Alcantara-Garcia
This research on the developed-out (DOP) salted paper print process intends to offer a more nuanced understanding of DOP salted paper prints in three ways: (1) By finding better ways to identify this process, (2) helping contribute to DOP scholarship, and (3) demonstrating wider use of DOP beyond France, as it is currently assumed. This research is relevant because of the limited knowledge of the DOP process and hence all new information is valuable to both to the field of photograph conservation and photograph history. This research uses non-historic samples prepared in collaboration with Mark Osterman, Photographic Process Historian, using known historic recipes and non-destructive techniques to enable better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), FourierTransform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR, and Reflectance-FTIR (R-FTIR). Results showed that FTIR-ATR and R-FTIR were able to detect the presence of coatings in beeswaxed samples and whey in whey-sensitized DOP print samples, although the generally held idea that FTIR-ATR is a non-destructive technique is reevaluated.
︎︎︎Research Proposal
︎︎︎Research Report
FIRE-DAMAGED PHOTOGRAPHS
WUDPAC Second Year ElectiveCourse led by Anisha Gupta
Preventive Conservation Research and Applications (PCRA) provides structured coursework, lectures, and demonstrations within which students build a research community and carry out independent projects focused either on preventive conservation research or application. My research project focused on fire-damaged photographs and explored different ways the public can protect their photographs.
︎︎︎Research Proposal
︎︎︎Research Report
︎︎︎Fire-Damaged Recovery Handout
COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY
WUDPAC Second Year Independent StudySupervised by Zachary Long
The course included readings on color photography and a survey of 300+ autochromes in Winterthur’s Archive, which feature various scenes of the Winterthur gardens and grounds taken between 1910 and 1921. The photographs in the collection include views of flowers, garden pathways, close-up on flowers, trees, leaves, scenes near the house, the reflecting pool, garden retreats, etc. Henry Francis du Pont was an early adopter of this early color photographic process, which was first marketed in 1907. The autochrome produced naturalistic color images, which would have intrigued du Pont to be able to capture the wide colors of his grounds and estate.
︎︎︎Annotated Bibliography
︎︎︎ Autochrome Collection Survey
