SIMON LIU SUPPORTS
Behind The Canvas: From Sticks to Supports
From humble lumber comes some of the most important elements in an artwork and all from the mind, heart, and hands of Simon Liu who has been the art world's best kept secret for 40 plus years. Join art conservator Julian Baumgartner, in his YouTube Series, on an exploratory dive into Simon Liu and the 40 years of expertise working with not only Julian but his father as well. Thrilled that PBS has picked up this series through 2028.
Re-stretching An Oil Painting with Rajiv Surendra - Visit to Simon Liu (Stretching A Canvas Basics)
We've all seen oil paintings, but how many of us pay attention to what's behind them? Stretching a canvas is a skill that requires technical knowledge that Rajiv finds daunting, so today he visits the best of the best; Simon Liu, who re-sizes one of Rajiv's paintings.
The back of a Martin Wong painting unlocks the history of graffiti art | HOW TO SEE
Wong’s “Houston Street,” 1986 is a major work. At eight by thirteen feet and hung to touch the ground, it forms an eerie trompe l'oeil double of the rolling gates that secure shops at night along the block that it is named for. When the painting recently entered MoMA’s collection, its stretcher had to be replaced and conservators and curators had a chance to study something they only had an inkling of: a painting on the back. We were honored to collaborate with MoMA’s conservation department to construct and stretch this support. Check us out at minute 12:40 constructing the foldable stretcher and stretching it at the museum.
Artists Tony Curanaj and Edward Minoff talk art
The boys hang out with legendary painting support craftsman and guru Simon Liu. When it comes to stretched canvas, there is only one person to talk to. We are grateful to Simon for sitting down and recording with us. Simon set us straight on how to properly stretch a canvas and talked shop about all fine painting supports. He backs all of this information up with unassailable logic built on a foundation of a few variables. Super fun conversation - we learned a lot and hope you will too.