FrançaisCICRP – Centre Interrégional de Conservation et Restauration du Patrimoine
[CICRP - Interregional Centre for Heritage Conservation and Restoration]
Characterization and behaviour
of contemporary art materials
Program
The research programme started in 1995 in collaboration with the University of Provence. The first step consisted in building a corpus of works of art from the PACA region (A. Colombini, E. Mognetti 1995-1998) : Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain (F.R.A.C.) – Marseille, Musée Cantini – Musée d’art contemporain – Marseille, Musée des Beaux-Arts – Toulon, Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (M.A.M.A.C.) – Nice.
Condition reports carried out on the paintings have put to the fore, both the weakness and singularity of contemporary art from a strictly conservation point of view. The aims of the research were first, to determine the most suitable preservation conditions for contemporary paintings exhibited in public galleries and secondly, to assess and to simulate the ageing process involved in the deterioration of these contemporary artworks.
The second part of the research (1999-2003) has been focused on the characterization of such paintings issued from the public collections of the PACA region and on the behaviour of materials, most commonly used by artists, under accelerated ageing tests. Case study from the Prassinos foundation (photo 1).
Photo 1 : Prassinos workshop : tools and materials used by the artist © campargue 2003.
The third phase (since 2004) has first consisted in the participation of a working group in order to build an artist’s questionnaire. Secondly, the research has focused on the behaviour of certain organic pigments (photo 2, photo 3), as well as, the optimization of analytical techniques used for the identification of some automotive paints, in collaboration with the Forensic Science Laboratory of Marseille.
Photo 2 : Ben 'J'ai rêvé', 1985; FRACPACA acrylic paint on wooden pannel, various plastic objects.
Pannel 2 © c.i.c.r.p. 2007.
Photo 3 : Détail of degradation of fluorescent orange pigment © c.i.c.r.p. 2007.
Since 2006, polyurethane elastomer has been the main concern of this research programme, particularly in the characterization and photochemical degradation processes of polyurethane paints and foams. This study has been realized in relation with some conservation treatments of polyurethane foam on Cesar and Yanobe artworks (photo 4).
Photo 4 : Foot soldier (Godzilla), 1991; FRAC PACA
polyurethane foam, natural latex, textile, steel, aluminium, acrylic, artist.
Weathering accelerated ageing has been carried out both, on latex compounds in mixture with acrylic paints applied on polyurethane foam and, on some consolidants most commonly used in conservation. The procedures were chosen in order to reproduce the making of one of the Yanobe's sculpture (photo 5).
Photo 5 : Accelerated ageing test on mixture of ultramarine acrylic paint and latex applied on poyurethane foam © c.i.c.r.p. 2007.
Since 2008
In 2008-2009, the mixed artistic technique (acrylic paint applied in a mixture with polyurethane latex foam) has been the subject of a behavioural study, where laboratory test tubes containing an imitating of the "skin" of the sculpture underwent accelerated ageing. A first hypothesis of degradation by ozonolysis and oxidation reactions was proposed and has led to test different consolidation treatments. The latter have a double objective: to consolidate the paint layer and the foam, to protect the latex from the evolutive degradation process. Proposals of treatment involving the use of antioxidants and consolidants will be tested.
A study of contemporary pigments found in acrylic paint was undertaken in 2008 using Raman and F.T.I.R. spectroscopy. Research is currently under way and a systematic study of pigments and fluorescent dyes belonging to different categories (acrylic paint, Day-Glo, graffiti, contemporary silk screen printing) is carried out in the context of studying works of art from public collections within the PACA region and outside of it too. There will be a study on the characterization and understanding of the phenomena of deterioration.
With respect to the 1% to support the creation emanating from art schools in the Rhône Alpes region, the supervision of students from the Ecole Supérieure d'Art de Liège, started in 2008 and will continue until 2010. This program focuses on materials such as plastics, ceramics, wall paintings and stone. The main objectives are the following: building a database about the works and their state of conservation, providing scientific expertise on materials, providing information about where the works are exhibited, about the environment and changes..., as well as an educational mission amongst students and school staff.
Unknown, Sans titre, 1969.
Lycée Edouard Branly, Lyon. (Photo Alain Colombini).
Frédéric de Broccard, Sans titre. Acrylic paint. Lycée Lumière, Lyon.
Left, in 1996 (Photo : Inventaire des oeuvres d'art implantées dans les lycées de Rhône-Alpes, by Claire Peillod). Right, in 2008 (Photo Alain Colombini).
A behavioural study of P.V.C. materials was undertaken in conjunction with the C2RMF and will be renewed in 2010. The objective of this work is to identify additives precisely and evaluate the analysis techniques applied to such materials submitted to artificial ageing. The first results were obtained from tests performed on pure P.V.C. resins, consumer goods and works of art, in particular inflatable structures.
P.V.C. resin (left) and artworks (right), Q.U.V. artificial ageing:
6 hours of condensation + 6 hours of U.V.-B irradiation at 70° C. (Photo Alain Colombini).
On the sidelines of the European PopArt, the CICRP be engaged in 2010 with CRCC, C2RMF and ArcNucleart, in a research program on the degradation of materials in celluloid. The mechanisms of alteration of celluloid will be studied on test samples as well as works of art will be subjected to artificial ageing. The changes will be assessed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods.
Publications
BALCAR N. et COLOMBINI A., "Approche multianalyses pour l'étude du P.V.C. : cas de structures gonflables", paper presented at Art d'aujourd'hui, patrimoine de demain, S.F.I.I.C. Paris June 2009.
ATTARD M.-C. et COLOMBINI A., "Dégradations d'une couche peinte composée de latex : cas d'une sculpture en polyuréthanne de Kenjii Yanobe", poster presented Art d'aujourd'hui, patrimoine de demain, S.F.I.I.C. Paris June 2009.
You may read an abstract and download this poster (in French).
COLOMBINI A., "Characterization of some orange and yellow organic and fluorescent pigments by Raman spectroscopy", presenté à IRUG-08 Conference, Vienna, 2008 ; epreservation science, 2009.
COLOMBINI A., CORBIN G. et LEAL ROMERO V., "Les matériaux en polyuréthanne dans les œuvres d'art : des fortunes diverses. Cas de la sculpture "Foot Soldier" de Kenji Yanobe", CeROArt, n° 2, 2008.
CORBIN, G. Recherche sur la conservation et la restauration de Foot Soldier (Godzilla) by Kenji Yanobe - Complétée d'une étude sur les mousses de polyuréthanes souples, Mémoire de l'Ecole Supérieure d'Art d'Avignon, 2007, 241 p. (+ DVD).
COLOMBINI A., LEAL ROMERO V. "Some limitations of Raman spectroscopy in the degradation assessment of polyurethane artworks", poster presented at Lacona VII international congres, Madrid september 2007.
You may read an abstract and download this poster.
COLOMBINI, A. "Analysis of polyurethane foams found in works of art" in The Theory and Practice in Conservation: a tribute to Cesare Brandi conference, Lisbonne mai 2006, publication dans le catalogue.
COLOMBINI, A., LAMOTHE, V., Poster en collaboration avec le Laboratoire de la Police Scientifique de Marseillle "Characterization, ageing and authentification of contemporary works of art: case of polyurethane paints" présenté au 7th EC Conference of Cultural Heritage Research à Prague, juin 2006.
LEAL ROMERO, V., Caractérisation et vieillissement des polyuréthanes: vernis et mousses. [Rapport de stage] – Master Professionnel Perfectionnement en Analyses Chimique et Spectroscopique, 2005, 37 p.
Equipe de recherche coordonnée par Pascale SAMUEL : Renforcement des capacités en conservation préventive des F.R.A.C. : les questionnaires d'artistes. Participation du C.I.C.R.P., coordonné par la Délégation aux Arts Plastiques. 2004, 68 p.
CAMPARGUE, Matthieu. Etude de pigments bruns et noirs et de liants huileux dans l'art contemporain : cas des peintures de M. Prassinos. [Rapport de stage] – D.E.S.S. Chimie Analytique et Instrumentation, 2003, 37 p.
BORTOLUS, Cécile. Caractérisation physico-chimique des matériaux de l'art contemporain : les liants. [Rapport de stage] – M.S.T. de procédés physico-chimiques, 2002, 35 p.
COLOMBINI A., VALLET J.-M. & HOURANY S. : "Characterisation and accelerated ageing assessment of two twentieth- century blue paints", Cultural Heritage Research : a Pan- European Challenge, 16-18/05/2002, Cracow (Poland), Ed. R. Kozlowski, M. Chapuis, M. Drdacky, R. Drewello, J. Leissner, P. Redol & J.-M. Vallet, proceedings of the 5th EC Conference, pp. 390.
Read the poster's abstract.
HOURANY, S., Caractérisation physico-chimique des matériaux de l'art contemporain. Application à la compréhension du vieillissement pour deux pigments bleus et leurs liants associés. Projet de fin d'étude. Université de technologie de Compiègne, département génie chimique, 2001, 47 p.
DE GIROLAMO, J., Analyses de constituants de peintures contemporaines par spectrophotométrie infrarouge a transformée de Fourier. Rapport de stage 2ème année de D.U.T. chimie, I.U.T. de Marseille, département chimie, 1999, 37 p.
Page mise à jour le 17 juillet 2009.
C.I.C.R.P. - Centre interrégional de conservation et restauration du patrimoine
Groupement d'Intérêt Public à caractère Culturel
- 21 rue Guibal - 13003 Marseille
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