The Story of Paint

Patricia Smithen

Assistant Professor, Paintings Conservation, Department of Art History and Art Conservation

Synopsis: 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, 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. For more about her research, please visit Patricia’s website.