Agrowing awareness of the -often inconspicuous-
links between art and chemistry has prompted the launch of a series
of international conferences on this subject. The first such event,
which focused on colour, was held at the Palais du Louvre from
16th to 18th September 1998. The second conference will cover
the various aspects of the use of polymers in the field of our
cultural heritage. It will take place at the Maison de la Chimie
in Paris from 15th to 16th October 2002.
The
various topics of the conference
The purpose of the conference is to show the impact of the use
of polymers on the various phases of the life of works of art
-both ancient and modern-, from their creation to the subsequent
steps taken to preserve, restore, and display them in museums.
The speakers will in particular appraise the contribution of
both natural and synthetic polymers to the creation and treatment
of works of art designed from an extensive range of materials
(stone, ceramics, glass, metal, textile, wood, etc.), whilst
also looking into the problems raised by their ageing process.
The conference will focus on five topics reflecting the diversity
of these materials' applications.
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| topic
1 |
Modern
artistic creation
from a dual angle of design and formulation |
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•
Marie-Claude Corbeil - Institut Canadien de Conservation - Ottawa
•
Danièle Giraudy - Directrice des Musées de Marseille
•
Henri Strub - AtoFina - Paris
This is an area in which synthetic polymers
undoubtedly offer the widest range of possibilities either as
easy-to-process solid plastics, composites, or sheet material
(polyesters, acrylics, polycarbonates), or as expanded materials
for which the expansion kinetics need careful control (polystyrenes,
polyurethanes). In addition, polymers are used in the formulation
of new binders for paints, or as adhesives for the bonding and
assembly of structural elements, thereby offering artists new
design opportunities.
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| topic
2 |
Conservation
- restoration:
protection and coating of surfaces |
•
Jean-Claude Dran - CNRS - Centre de Recherche et de Restauration
des Musées de France - Paris
•
Bertrand Lavédrine - Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation
des Documents Graphiques - Paris
•
Liliane Masschelein-Kleiner - Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique
- Bruxelles
•
Martine Regert - CNRS - Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des
Musées de France - Paris
The use of polymers in this area fulfils
a dual objective: to protect works of art from external agents,
and to enhance their brightness.
Traditional varnishes and protective coatings
are made from natural oils, proteins, waxes and resins, whereas
modern coatings normally consist of synthetic compounds (cellulose,
vinyl, acrylic, etc.). The main problems presently raised by these
wide-ranging products include:
•
their binding power, their adhesion to the substrate, and their
long-term interaction with the substrate;
•
their application method;
•
their evolution, in particular their alteration mechanism under
the effect of light and their environment, for which specific
analytical techniques should be developed together with recommmended
application practices;
•
their influence on the reversibility of treatments and the elimination
of protective layers made of natural or synthetic polymers (replacement
of organic solvents by water-based solvents).
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| topic
3 |
Conservation
- restoration:
strengthening of porous materials |
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•
Gilles Chaumat - Arc Nucleart - Grenoble
•
Ernest Maréchal - Université Paris 6 - Société
Française de Chimie - Paris
•
Philippe Larraillet - Rhodia - Lyon
•
Isabelle Pallot-Frossard - Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments
Historiques - Champs-sur-Marne
The purpose of using polymers in
the treatment of porous materials is twofold: consolidation, and
protection from external agents. In all cases, the result depends
on the nature of the polymer, its characteristics, and the application
technique. The main issues include:
•
treatment and consolidation methods, in particular the impregnation
of the materials and the depth
of penetration in the chosen treatment;
•
the alteration of the surface finish of the materials;
•
long-term stability, and therefore the durability of the treatment;
•
reversibility.
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| topic
4 |
Moulding
and impression techniques
for reproduction |
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•
Patrick Bourgin - Ecole Supérieure de Plasturgie - Oyonnax
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Henry de Lumley - Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle - Paris
•
Liliane Léger - Collège de France - Paris
•
Gilbert Schorsch - Société de Chimie Industrielle
- Paris
This activity produces copies of art works
for the general public, but also facsimile which substitute in
open air for fragile original works or numerous prints of a short-lived
archaeological memory. It calls upon a variety of materials: metal
(bronze), hydraulic binders (plaster, cement), stone, and organic
materials (resin). Practical problems arise when removing castings
from their mould, or with the latest technique of reproduction
without contact, using lasers.
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| topic
5 |
Polymers
for collections management
|
•
Catherine Blanchard - Musée du Peigne et de la Plasturgie
- Oyonnax
•
Jean-Louis Boutaine - Centre de Recherche et de Restauration
des Musées de France - Paris
•
Jean-François Milou - Architecte - Paris
Polymers play a role in essentially
two functions as regards the display of works of art:
•
the display of works of art on polymer supports can take on
extremely complex forms, playing with colour and light whilst
also lending a degree of aesthetics to the "support"
function;
•
the protection of works of art from all forms of physical attack,
as well as from dust, intense and - or ultraviolet light. The
range of surface treatments available which can accommodate
both this protective role and the legibility of the artefact,
include reducing glare, increasing scratch-resistance, etc.
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