Art + Work | Securing glass, ceramic and shell ornaments on Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers

Watch as LACMA conservators secure ornaments on the Watts Towers, a mosaic sculpture in South Los Angeles built in 1921 by artist Simon Rodia.

Introduction: 00:00
Preparing ornament: 01:21
Mortar edging ornaments: 01:47
Reattaching an ornament: 05:29

Read about the meticulous work of keeping glass, ceramic and shells from falling off this outdoor sculpture: https://unframed.lacma.org/2021/09/15/reattaching-fallen-ornaments-simon-rodias-watts-towers

Art + Work is an observational documentary showing the care that LACMA conservators put into preserving artworks in our collection. Working closely with LACMA’s Conservation Center, this series highlights the wide range of techniques and tools used by our skilled conservators.

Learn more about LACMA’s Conservation Center: https://www.lacma.org/learn/conservation

**Viewing with headphones is recommended**
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About LACMA
Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of nearly 140,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.

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