A collaboration between the CiQUS and the CGAC provided valuable information on the deterioration and durability of contemporary sculptures made of polymeric materials, starting from a artwork by sculptor Francisco Leiro partially realized by an epoxy resin.
Artworks made in plastics (namely in synthetic polymers) represent an important part of Modern and Contemporary Art collections all over the world. Even though it was believed such artworks were very stable over time, recent investigations revealed their limited environmental stability, pointing out their fast ageing. Also in the collection of the CGAC (Centro Galego de Arte Contemporáneo), some artworks are showing extended and unexpected deterioration phenomena.
Preventive conservation, the best option
The journal «Polymer Degradation and Stability», in a special issue dedicated to the use of polymers in Art, and the book «Science, Technology and Cultural Heritage», focused on the conservation of cultural heritage, report the results of investigations carried out at the CiQUS. The research team aimed to develop a multi-analytical approach for evaluating the degradability of polymeric materials in contemporary works of art, herein focusing on the evaluation of the actual state of conservation and the prediction of the long term stability of a sculpture actually showing signs of deterioration.
After the identification of the synthetic material used by Francisco Leiro for the creation of Nemeas Lion, the researchers studied the properties of such industrial resin -often used as marine furniture material-, revealing its limited stability and possibly the unexpected deterioration of the artwork. The research pointed out the structural reasons of the fast yellowing of the resin, comparing the theoretical results with those clearly visible in the sculpture.
Notwithstanding the ageing of polymers in sculpture usually consists in an irreversible process of oxidation that turns the restoration practice into a combination of cautious cleaning and preventive conservation, the physical and chemical understanding of the processes behind the deterioration of the specific artwork allow the development of active conservation measures. In particular, minimizing the exposure of the sculpture to environmental factors which would accelerate oxidation has been planned, avoiding display in outdoor conditions, limiting its exhibition in the museum rooms, and providing stable conditions (mainly low temperatures) such as those found in the museum's storehouse.
The conclusions of this research, which involved Yolanda Rodriguez-Mella and Marina Nieto-Suarez at the CiQUS, and Thaïs López-Morán (responsible of the Departamento de Restauración y Conservación at the CGAC) under the direction of the main researcher of of the Polymeric Materials group of the CiQUS, Massimo Lazzari, are not only valuable on the scientific and artistic point of view but also entail social and economic consequences, as the conservation of artworks involve the safeguard of the investment realized for their acquisition, often founded with public resources (as in the case of Nemeas Lion).