1. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer XII.“Bolts secured, the piece is finally in position. You can just make out the three steel feet under the bottom edge of the painting that support the work.” Have a question for Graham about the installation or his job as an art handler in general? Follow us on Twitter @whitneymuseum and ask us your question via #AskTheWhit by Monday, May 13. Responses will be posted on May 15. Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2.

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer

    XII.“Bolts secured, the piece is finally in position. You can just make out the three steel feet under the bottom edge of the painting that support the work.”

    Have a question for Graham about the installation or his job as an art handler in general? Follow us on Twitter @whitneymuseum and ask us your question via #AskTheWhit by Monday, May 13. Responses will be posted on May 15.

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2.

  2. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer XI. “This is the view from inside the wall behind The Rose. Looking out through the hole you can make out back of The Rose and one of the three feet that support the weight of the painting.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    XI. “This is the view from inside the wall behind The Rose. Looking out through the hole you can make out back of The Rose and one of the three feet that support the weight of the painting.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  3. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer X. “Minor adjustments are made so that the bolts can be slid into position. It’s pretty dark back there, so a flashlight is helpful.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    X. “Minor adjustments are made so that the bolts can be slid into position. It’s pretty dark back there, so a flashlight is helpful.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  4. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer IX. “The pallet jack is removed and The Rose now sits directly on the floor. Two bolts on either side of the back of painting pin the painting to the steel cleat on the wall.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    IX. “The pallet jack is removed and The Rose now sits directly on the floor. Two bolts on either side of the back of painting pin the painting to the steel cleat on the wall.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  5. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer VIII. “Now that The Rose is close to vertical, you can see the legs of the gantry are pushed back beyond the exterior sheetrock and into the recesses of the wall on either side of the painting. Without these holes the gantry would end up two feet away from the wall, complicating the transition from the gantry to the steel cleat.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    VIII. “Now that The Rose is close to vertical, you can see the legs of the gantry are pushed back beyond the exterior sheetrock and into the recesses of the wall on either side of the painting. Without these holes the gantry would end up two feet away from the wall, complicating the transition from the gantry to the steel cleat.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  6. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer VII. “A pallet jack is placed under the bottom of the piece, as it is slowly raised into position with the chain hoists. As the top of piece is raised into its vertical orientation, the bottom of the painting is driven back towards the wall.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    VII. “A pallet jack is placed under the bottom of the piece, as it is slowly raised into position with the chain hoists. As the top of piece is raised into its vertical orientation, the bottom of the painting is driven back towards the wall.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  7. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer VI. “As the height of The Rose is close to the maximum height of the gantry, several sheets of plywood are placed under the gantry to ensure that there is enough clearance from the top of the painting to the gantry’s I-beam. Two holes have also been cut into the walls that mirror the footprint of the gantry’s A-frame legs. This allows the gantry to be pushed back inside the wall and means that The Rose can sit flush against the wall, while still on the gantry.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    VI. “As the height of The Rose is close to the maximum height of the gantry, several sheets of plywood are placed under the gantry to ensure that there is enough clearance from the top of the painting to the gantry’s I-beam. Two holes have also been cut into the walls that mirror the footprint of the gantry’s A-frame legs. This allows the gantry to be pushed back inside the wall and means that The Rose can sit flush against the wall, while still on the gantry.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  8. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer V. “The hardest part is now over and The Rose is safely down. It is now placed on four dollies so it can be pushed into position. Under the bottom edge of the painting, the immense steel sub-frame and the supporting feet that the painting rest on are clearly visible.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    V. “The hardest part is now over and The Rose is safely down. It is now placed on four dollies so it can be pushed into position. Under the bottom edge of the painting, the immense steel sub-frame and the supporting feet that the painting rest on are clearly visible.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  9. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer IV. “While lowering The Rose, particular care needs to be taken to insure both the metal feet of the painting’s sub-frame remain on the floor at all times. The chain hoists need to be lowered at different rates to accomplish this. Communication, concentration, and synchronization are key. Scott Atthowe, who is overseeing the installation, scrutinizes the positioning of the gantry, chain hoists, and painting and calls out directions to orchestrate this complex maneuver.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    IV. “While lowering The Rose, particular care needs to be taken to insure both the metal feet of the painting’s sub-frame remain on the floor at all times. The chain hoists need to be lowered at different rates to accomplish this. Communication, concentration, and synchronization are key. Scott Atthowe, who is overseeing the installation, scrutinizes the positioning of the gantry, chain hoists, and painting and calls out directions to orchestrate this complex maneuver.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  10. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer III. “Once removed from the A-frame cart, The Rose is lowered onto its edge and then onto its back. Raising and lowering The Rose in this position is by far the most challenging aspect of the entire installation. A large portion of the weight is concentrated in the lower third of the painting, which makes it extremely unbalanced and unwieldy in this orientation.”Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    III. “Once removed from the A-frame cart, The Rose is lowered onto its edge and then onto its back. Raising and lowering The Rose in this position is by far the most challenging aspect of the entire installation. A large portion of the weight is concentrated in the lower third of the painting, which makes it extremely unbalanced and unwieldy in this orientation.”

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  11. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer II. “Shackles are attached to the top of the steel sub-frame, so the painting can be lifted from the metal A-frame cart and set down on the floor. The restrictive size of the Whitney’s elevators necessitates the use of this cart. If the painting were to ride flat on its back—instead of on its edge—it would not fit into either the freight or large passenger car.” Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    II. “Shackles are attached to the top of the steel sub-frame, so the painting can be lifted from the metal A-frame cart and set down on the floor. The restrictive size of the Whitney’s elevators necessitates the use of this cart. If the painting were to ride flat on its back—instead of on its edge—it would not fit into either the freight or large passenger car.” 

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  12. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s PerspectiveBy Graham Miles, Whitney art handler Documented by Paula Court, photographer I. “You can see a steel cleat has been bolted to the wall directly above the red scissor lift. The cleat pins The Rose vertically in position, supporting the balance but not the weight of the painting.”  Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective
    By Graham Miles, Whitney art handler 
    Documented by Paula Court, photographer 

    I. “You can see a steel cleat has been bolted to the wall directly above the red scissor lift. The cleat pins The Rose vertically in position, supporting the balance but not the weight of the painting.” 

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view now through June 2. 

  13. The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective The most challenging aspect of installing Jay DeFeo’s The Rose for the Whitney’s current retrospective was not transporting the nearly one-ton painting to New York from California—where the exhibition had finished a successful run at SFMOMA—but took place once the painting was inside the Museum’s doors. Follow along as Whitney art handler Graham Miles explains the process, as documented by photographer Paula Court.  Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view through June 2.  Jay DeFeo, The Rose, 1958–66. Oil with wood and mica on canvas, 128 7/8 × 92 1/4 × 11 in. (327.3 × 234.3 × 27.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of the Estate of Jay DeFeo and purchase with funds from the Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Committee and the Judith Rothschild Foundation  95.170  © 2013 The Jay DeFeo Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

    The Installation of The Rose from an Art Handler’s Perspective

    The most challenging aspect of installing Jay DeFeo’s The Rose for the Whitney’s current retrospective was not transporting the nearly one-ton painting to New York from California—where the exhibition had finished a successful run at SFMOMA—but took place once the painting was inside the Museum’s doors.

    Follow along as Whitney art handler Graham Miles explains the process, as documented by photographer Paula Court. 

    Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective is on view through June 2. 

    Jay DeFeo, The Rose, 1958–66. Oil with wood and mica on canvas, 128 7/8 × 92 1/4 × 11 in. (327.3 × 234.3 × 27.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of the Estate of Jay DeFeo and purchase with funds from the Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Committee and the Judith Rothschild Foundation  95.170  © 2013 The Jay DeFeo Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

  14. Weighing nearly one ton, The Rose by Jay DeFeo is one of the most complicated works in the Whitney’s collection to install. On February 15, the work was installed at the Whitney Museum as part of the exhibition Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective (opening February 28). The work arrived in New York from California, where the Whitney’s exhibition had finished a successful run at SFMOMA. Photographer Paula Court documented the installation that day from start to finish.

  15. Want to find out what lies behind the curtain? Trisha Baga: Plymouth Rock 2 is on view through Sunday.

    Want to find out what lies behind the curtain? Trisha Baga: Plymouth Rock 2 is on view through Sunday.