Project Objectives
Over the last seventy years, a staggering array of new pigments and binders have been developed and used in the production of paint. There are now hundreds of pigments available to paint formulators, facilitating the production of any desired combination of color and transparency in paint. The introduction of synthetic binders—most notably acrylic, alkyd, polyvinyl acetate, and nitrocellulose—has resulted in paints that exhibit great flexibility, fast drying times, reduced yellowing tendencies, and, in the case of emulsion formulations, the elimination of organic solvents as thinners and diluents. Many artists have utilized these modern paints (including house paints and others that were never intended specifically for artists' use) and have explored and exploited their distinct handling and optical properties.

	Acrylic paint samples being prepared. Photo: Michael Schilling.

Unfortunately, conservators have almost no information on any of these products in terms of how to identify them and how they might alter with age or be affected by conservation treatments. The enormous diversity in materials used in modern paints has important implications for their conservation, since each type of paint is likely to display its own unique set of physical and chemical properties, as well as responses to aging, environmental conditions, and conservation treatments.

This long-term project aims to address some of the immediate needs for information on modern paints. Initially, it will focus on three main areas:

• improved methods for chemical analysis;
• a better understanding of the physical properties and surface characteristics of modern paints;
• assessment of the effects of cleaning treatments.

	Sample being prepared for testing in mass spectrometer. Photo: Jim Druzik.

Project Overview
Art works from the 20th century represent the artistic legacy of our time. In order to pass these works along to future generations, it is essential to understand as comprehensively as possible the factors that could contribute to their deterioration. Designing the optimum means for the preservation and restoration of works of art is an extremely complex task that requires a comprehensive understanding of all the materials with which they were made—and the way in which these materials react with one another, with environmental conditions, and with conservation treatments. This information can only be obtained by thorough monitoring of objects and by extensive programs of analysis and examination of test materials subjected to artificial aging and/or trial treatments.

	Loading samples for testing into the GC/MS. Photo: Michael Schilling.

This integrated collaborative project—initiated in 2002 by Tate in London, the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C., and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI)—is directed toward answering some of the many questions about the character of modern paint materials. The project brings extensive scientific expertise and equipment to bear in the areas of materials identification and cleaning, with each organization concentrating on research for which it has appropriate experience and facilities. The combined results from each component of the project will assist conservators in selecting appropriate cleaning methods and techniques for modern paints, increase the understanding of the problems that may develop over time as a result of the additives in some commercial paints, and help guide treatments of paintings composed of modern media.

Last updated: July 2005