A death Alan M. Farancz, 73, head of the Farancz Painting Conservation Studio, New York, passed away 19th December 2016 due to complications resulting from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Alan undertook his graduate training in conservation at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts from 1966 to 1969, under the guidance of Professor Lawrence Majewski. During this time Alan travelled to Florence to be part of the "mud angel" team led by Bernard Rabin, and assisted in the aftermath of the 1966 Arno river disaster. He was awarded a Fulbright Research Fellowship in 1968 to carry out work on polychrome wood and marble objects in Florence. Witnessing the severity of the damage to these magnificent artworks while learning the processes by which they were made was to be Alan's formative, most influential professional experience. In his own words, "It was in Florence that I was instructed in how to see." His subsequent work over five decades in the conservation field was characterized by a passion for process. He had a deep understanding of artists' methodologies and utmost respect for works in his care. He also undertook many large scale and complex projects; thes e required enormous aptitude for logistical strategizing so as allow the necessary time and attention to precise details. Alan excelled at both aspects, and espoused the studio motto "Preserving the past is a difficult task". In 1972 Alan partnered with Bernard Rabin. During these years he assisted with the removal of the Stuart Davis work, Mural, from Radio City Music Hall. The mural was faced with several layers of various material and then removed along with a section of the wall weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Layers of brick, mortar, and plaster were removed from the back of the work before the work was lined, cleaned and varnished in the studio. The painting became part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 1975.
Alan assumed leadership of the studio in 1979 and moved it to West 36th St. in Manhattan in 1980. Mural projects continued to be a significant feature of the work undertaken. Some of these include Flight by James Brooks at the Marine Air Terminal of LaGuardia Airport (assisted by Larry Keck and others), murals and architectural elements at the Morgan Library, Manhattan Skyline by Louis Lozowick at the Farley Post Office, and murals by Maxfield Parrish from an estate in Long Island. Several sets of scaffolding were acquired over the years to accommodate the needs of dozens of murals that were treated in situ throughout New York Public Schools and hospitals. A range of work was treated in the studio, from contemporary art and painted sculpture to Tibetan thangkas. This diversity was consistently met with a practical problem-solving mind and deft hands. Numerous specialized technicians, engineers, and studio assistants were called in as needed, with some of the latter subsequently becoming professionals in the conservation field. Alan also collaborated internationally as a mural expert with the Indo-US Subcommission on Education and Culture, and with FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Program as a technical expert in the wake of hurricane and earthquake events. Following the collapse of the World Trade Center, he assisted with recovery of waterlogged collections in an affected adjacent building. Alan was the recipient of several awards from a variety of New York City advocacy groups, including the Lucy G. Moses award, the NYC Landmarks Conservancy's highest honor for outstanding preservation efforts. He was a fellow of the AIC and of IIC. Over the years, as Alan built up an extensive portfolio of projects, so too did he amass a large repository of stories that he had a fondness for telling, always with a penchant for the bizarre, unexpected and unusual details. He will be remembered for his sharp mind, his tremendous skill, ingenuity, dedication and tenacity. He is survived by his wife and business partner Denise Whitbeck and their son Dagan. The studio remains open and the website is being expanded to include historic images and summaries of Alan's work. Donations in Alan's name are welcome and may be made to: ALS Association Greater New York Chapter 42 Broadway, Suite 1724 New York, NY 10004 Anne Peranteau Textile Conservator Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 169 Tory St Te Aro 6011 Wellington New Zealand +64 04 381 7332 +64 0226113255 ______________________________________________________________________________ This email has been filtered by SMX. For more information visit http://smxemail.com ______________________________________________________________________________ ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to consdistlist-le...@cool.conservation-us.org Archives through August 2016 at http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/ Archives from September 2016 onward at https://www.mail-archive.com/consdistlist@cool.conservation-us.org/
