Samples of paint used on outdoor painted sculptures sought

The Modern and Contemporary Art Research initiative at the Getty
Conservation Institute has recently launched a project aiming at
improving the identification of the paint systems used to paint,
repaint or retouch outdoor painted sculptures. Unlike artists'
quality paints, the analytical strategies required for the
identification and understanding of industrial paints remain very
incomplete.

One of the first stages in this project will be to collect as wide a
range of paint samples as possible. Due to the rapidly changing
paint market with solvent borne systems becoming harder to obtain
(especially with the very strict VOC laws in California), we are
seeking to obtain samples of paint that conservators, fabricators,
studios and/or sculpture park managers may currently have at their
disposal that have been used or are intended for use on their
outdoor works. We would like to get dry samples of these
paints--either chunks of dried paint in vials or as films painted
out on melinex / glass slides etc, along with as much information as
possible on approximate date, manufacturer, brand, color, etc.,
ideally with a photograph of the paint can and the sculpture for
which it is intended or has already been applied. We are
particularly interested in the following artists (but not
exclusively): Calder, de Saint Phalle, di Suvero, Dubuffet, and
Lichtenstein

We would also be very interested in receiving more general
information from conservators involved with outdoor painted
sculptures on what system they commonly use (primers, topcoats,
clearcoats, etc;) and the brands and products that they normally
favor.

Please contact Rachel Rivenc <rrivenc<-a t->getty< . >edu> directly about
this.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:37
                 Distributed: Friday, December 19, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-22-37-029
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