Modern Science and Contemporary Paintings: Preserving an Evolving Legacy Paintings produced in earlier eras used a relatively circumscribed
range of artists materials. Today artists are not limited
to these traditional materials but may also choose from a variety
of commercial paint mediasuch as acrylics, nitrocellulose,
and alkydsas well as a profusion of synthetic pigments. Given
that research into artists materials and their use plays an
important role in conservation, the tremendous increase in the number
of available materials creates new challenges for conservation professionals.
Time and Change: A Discussion about the Conservation of Modern and Contemporary Art
Those charged with conserving modern and contemporary art confront a variety of practical and philosophical considerations. Conservators Jim Coddington and Carol Mancusi-Ungaro and art historian Kirk Varnedoe shared their thoughts on a number of these complicated but intriguing issues with the GCI's Jeffrey Levin.
Modern Paints: A New Collaborative Research Project
Knowledge regarding how well modern paint media will withstand the
passage of time remains extremely limited. A new integrated collaborative
projectinitiated in 2002 by Tate in London, the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Getty Conservation Institutewill
address some of the questions we have regarding the character of
modern paint materials. The project will conduct research in three
main areas: cleaning of modern paintings, chemical analysis, and
physical characterization.
Conserving the Buddhist Wall Paintings at Mogao
Since 1989 the Getty Conservation Institute and the Dunhuang Academy
have collaborated on conservation at the Mogao grottoes, an important
site of Buddhist worship along Chinas Silk Road, today inscribed
on the World Heritage List. Beginning in 1997, one aspect of the
collaboration has focused on the conservation of wall paintings.
The wall paintings project is developing approaches that will have
wide application not only at Mogao but also at similar sites on
the Silk Road.
GCI News: Projects, Events, Publications and Staff
Updates on Getty Conservation Institute projects, events, publications, and staff.
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