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Nearly sixty years ago, Duke University staff brought a seventeenth-century sculpture to the hospital on a stretcher, hoping to uncover the secret of what lay hidden in the wooden friar鈥檚 chest. Although technology has changed since then, the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration at the heart of the scientific study of artworks remains. Technical art history, the focus of this exhibition, brings together art historians, conservators, and scientists to gain deeper insights into works of art and the methods and intentions of their makers.

Using microscopes, specialized cameras, scanners, and different wavelengths of light, our team examined objects from the Nasher Museum鈥檚 permanent collection ranging from ancient American ceramics to a contemporary artwork made from found plastic. Through the ever-evolving lens of technical art history, On the Same Wavelength presents the discoveries we have made about these objects鈥� materials, original uses, and the techniques used to create them. This exhibition also highlights the role of the museum in navigating challenges related to an object鈥檚 condition, display, and evolution over time due to aging and conservation.