Transcript Caring for Plastics

Care of Plastics
In Art & Design collections
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07974985849
Scope
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Artists’ plastics
Care principles - a stable environment
Identification – prioritise problem plastics
Signs and Causes of Deterioration
Preparation, handling, storage and display
Labelling
Cleaning
Other options
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints
• Acrylics, PVA – poly
vinyl acetate
Artists’Plastics
• Paints -acrylic,
polyvinyl acetate
• GRP – Glass
Reinforced Plastic
Philip King
Tra-La-La 1963
2743 x 762 x 762 mm
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic,
polyvinyl acetate
• GRP – glass
reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
Arman
Venus of
the shaving
brushes
c.1968
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic,
polyvinyl acetate
• GRP – glass
reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
Ron Mueck Ghost 1998
Fibreglass, silicone,
polyurethane foam, acrylic
fibre and fabric
2019 x 648 x 991 mm
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic,
polyvinyl acetate
• GRP – glass
reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
• PMMA - Acrylic
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– Naum Gabo Linear construction in
space no2 1970 h.1150mm
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic,
polyvinyl acetate
• GRP – glass
reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
• PMMA - Acrylic
• Mixed media, found
objects &
readymades
Bruce Lacey The Womaniser 1966
Mixed media 1500 x 1650 x 730 mm
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic, polyvinyl
acetate
• GRP – glass reinforced
plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
• PMMA - Acrylic
• Mixed media, found
objects & readymades
• Cellulosics –cellulose
nitrate and acetate
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Naum Gabo, Column 1920 h.144mm
Artists’Plastics
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• Paints -acrylic, polyvinyl
acetate
• GRP – glass reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
• PMMA - Acrylic
• Mixed media, found objects &
readymades
• Cellulosics –cellulose nitrate
and acetate
• Photographic, new media,
videos, tapes and disks
Scrap heap services
Artists’Plastics
• Paints -acrylic, polyvinyl
acetate
• GRP – glass reinforced plastic
• Polyester resin
• Silicone resins
• PMMA - Acrylic
• Mixed media, found objects &
readymades
• Cellulosics –cellulose nitrate
and acetate
• Photographic, new media,
videos, tapes and disks
• Polymer clay
Thomas Schutte from United Enemies 1993 h.350mm
Carol Blackburn
Polymer clay bowls 2007
each 45 x 75mm diam
Care principles
• Prevention
• Damage is irreversible.
• Create a dark, cool, clean, dry
• and stable environment
Care principles
• Prevention
• Damage is irreversible, create a stable environment
• Purpose – what are we trying to
achieve?
• Mission policy, display, reference, hands on,
accommodate artist’s intent?
Care principles
• Prevention
• Damage is irreversible, create a stable environment
• Purpose – what are we trying to achieve?
• Mission policy, display, reference, hands on,
accommodate artist’s intent?
• Continuity - establish good practice
• Maximise access, minimise handling
Care principles
• Prevention – damage is irreversible
• Purpose – what are we trying to achieve?
• Mission policy, display, reference, hands on,
accommodate artist’s intent?
• Continuity - establish good practice
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Maximise access, minimise handling
• Identify, document, record and monitor
Survey, Photography, avoid hot lights. Annual check of ‘at risk’
works
Care principles
• Prevention – damage is irreversible
• Purpose – what are we trying to achieve?
• Mission policy, display, reference, hands on, accommodate artist’s
intent?
• Continuity - establish good practice
• Maximise access, minimise handling
• Identify, document, record and monitor
• Survey, Photography, avoid hot lights. Annual check of ‘at risk’
works
• Any plan is better than none
Prioritise the problem plastics
• Identify:
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Cellulose acetate
Cellulose nitrate (celluloid)
Plasticised PVC
Polyurethane polyester foams
• Isolate
• Ventilate
• Monitor
Signs of Deterioration
• Odour – acidic, camphor (CN)
• Change: colour -yellowing, bleaching
shape –distortion, sagging,
sweating – oily spots
bloom – white powder
cracks, splits (CAc) and crazing(CN)
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Corrosion of metal parts
Discolouration of packing materials
Increased brittleness, crumbling of foam
Onset is unpredictable and rapid
Occurs at stress points and handled areas
Unstable environments cause stress
Gabo Construction in Space (Crystal)1937: Details of condition in 2007
Causes of deterioration
• Inherent vice –material, manufacture,
history, shape, stress
Causes of deterioration
• Inherent vice –material, manufacture,
history, shape, stress
• Unstable environment -excess light,
temperature swings, changes in relative
humidity, pollutants
Causes of deterioration
• Inherent vice –material, manufacture,
history, shape, stress
• Unstable environment -excess light,
temperature swings, changes in relative
humidity, pollutants
• Mechanical damage – handling, transport
& housekeeping. Wear gloves
Causes of deterioration
• Inherent vice –material, manufacture,
history, shape, stress
• Unstable environment -excess light,
temperature swings, changes in relative
humidity, pollutants
• Mechanical damage – handling, transport
& housekeeping. Wear gloves
• Cleaning and misconceived repairs
Light damage
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Cumulative and irreversible
Affects both the plastic and pigments
Control light in storage and on display
UV component in light is most damaging
Use UV filters on windows and lights
Storage
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Stable conditions at all times
Clean & dry
Cool & dark
Minimise handling
labels
Storage
• Use: ‘archival’ quality material
– Avoid contact with wood, metals, dust and
other ‘objects’
– Acid free paper
– Silicone release paper
– Polyester wadding
– Polypropylene containers
– Plastazote (closed cell polyethylene foams)
Storage – Problem Plastics
• Isolate and separate ‘at risk’ from
‘deteriorating’ objects
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Acid free paper
Silicone release paper
Polyester wadding
Ventilated polypropylene containers
• Scavengers for acidic gases
– Charcoal cloth and zeolites
– Artsorb board
Gabo –cellulose acetate storage with plastazote & charcoal
cloth in ventilated polypropylene bin
Storage – Problem Plastics
• Check vulnerable ‘at risk’
items at least once a
year, preferably more
often.
• Use smell and
dampened indicator strip
to confirm acidic offgassing.
Construction in Space ‘Two Cones’ (c.1968)
Photo taken 1978
Construction in Space ‘Two Cones’ (c.1968)
Display –Problem Plastics
• Low light - less than
100 lux
• Ventilated plinth
covers
• Allow at least 72
hours for plinth paint
to dry before covering
Labelling
• Avoid solvent based inks, paints and
isolating layers.
• Avoid adhesive tapes
• Avoid rubber bands
• Use tie on labels with cotton tape
• Use soft pencil (inside objects)
Cleaning
• To remove dust and contaminants
• Cleaning causes damage – both mechanical
and chemical
• Decide on a balance between appearance and
risk of damage
• Avoid solvents, eg alcohols, acetone, cellulose
thinners, cleaning fluids
• Use soft dry lint free cloths, eg microfibre
• For stubborn marks only, use water to dampen
cloth and dry immediately
Other plastic formats
• Fabrics – costumes and accessories - provide
supports, isolate PVC’s
• Photograhic – archival quality storage materials
• New media: videos, tapes, disks – a
management policy is essential for maintenance and
migration.
UK conservation supplies
• Conservation by Design www.conservation-bydesign.co.uk
• Preservation equipment
www.preservationequipment.com
• To find a conservator- www.conservationregister.com
• Book- ‘Plastics, collecting and conserving’ Quye &
Williamson
• Article -Scott Williams – Care of Plastics; Malignant
Plastics – 8 pages –google it or…
• http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn24/wn24-1/wn24-102.html
Care Summary
• Know what you’ve got – survey & record
Care Summary
• Know what you’ve got – survey & record
• Keep in clean, cool, dry stable
conditions
Care Summary
• Know what you’ve got – survey & record
• Keep in clean, cool, dry stable conditions
• Avoid light
Care Summary
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Know what you’ve got – survey & record
Keep in clean, cool, dry stable conditions
Avoid light
Isolate CN, CAc, PVC’s,
Care Summary
•
•
•
•
•
Know what you’ve got – survey & record
Keep in clean, cool, dry stable conditions
Avoid light
Isolate CN, CAc, PVC’s,
Monitor
Care Summary
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Know what you’ve got – survey & record
Keep in clean, cool, dry stable conditions
Avoid light
Isolate CN, CAc, PVC’s,
Monitor
Keep on collecting and researching
Jim Lambie Tate Britain 2001
3D Documentation of Plastic
Sculptures by Naum Gabo
in Tate’s Collection
A Project Funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Gabo
Construction on a Line (1937-8)
Undated photo c.1940’s
Tate version
Original
Replica
Original
Replica
Original
Replica
Construction on a line
(c. 1935 – 7 )
Naum Gabo.
Richard Artschwager Table and Chair 1963-4
Melamine laminate and wood
object: 755 x 1320 x 952 mm object: 1143 x 438 x 533 mm
The two sculptures chosen for
our pilot study
Construction in Space ‘Crystal’
(c. 1937)
Spiral Theme (c. 1941)
Spiral Theme 1941: Photo taken in 2007
Laser scanning ‘Construction in Space “Crystal”
‘Construction in Space “Crystal”
(Model coloured to show different component parts)
Data from Plowman Craven
Photogrammetry
Lines drawn from different camera
position to targets on the object
A2
A1
A3
Taking measurements in 3D space
from photogrammetric images
Use of the touch probe
Construction in Space “Crystal”:
Showing warping of form