Masterclass on tear mending for canvas paintings

Masterclass

Thread-by-thread Tear Mending Workshop
SRAL, Avenue Ceramique 224
6221 KX Maastricht
The Netherlands
23-26 February 2015

Instructor: Petra Demuth

Organisers: Kae Seymour and Siska Losse <info<-at->sral<.>nl> (att:
Thread-by-Thread Masterclass)

Registration Deadline: January 23, 2015

Costs: EUR 650.00 (including toolkit and lunch)

Accommodation: The price is excluding
accommodation.  SRAL can recommend Townhouse Hotel,
Maastricht

    <URL:http://www.townhousehotels.nl/en>

Booking via SRAL will provide a discounted price.

Petra Demuth studied conservation of paintings and polychrome
sculptures at the Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS),
Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Germany (1990-1994).  She
has taught conservation of paintings and modern art at the
Conservation Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden,
Germany, as a research assistant with Professor Winfried Heiber.
After these six years, she worked as a painting conservator in
private practice in Berlin.  She has been a technical lecturer in
the Department of Restoration and Conservation of Paintings,
Polychrome Sculptures and Modern Art at CICS since 2003.  Petra
Demuth has demonstrated the thread-by-thread tear mending method
with Professor Winfried Heiber over a number of years.  They have
offered tear mending workshops in Chicago, London, Cambridge, Oslo,
Copenhagen, Berne, Maastricht, Valencia, London, New Haven and
Melbourne.  Since 2009 Petra Demuth has continued to impart the
knowledge about this technique in numerous European cities.  The
ideas about the method, its concept, principles and significant
examples, as well as the content and structure of the workshop, all
are based on the lifework of Winfried Heiber (+ 2009).  It is a
compilation of almost 30 years of his experience as a conservator in
private practice and 11 years as a Professor in the Conservation
Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, Germany.

The Masterclass will consist of four days practical days supported
by lectures, literature and discussion.  Practical sessions will
focus on the following:

    Cyclododecane: temporary paint consolidation

    Joining single yarns

    Reweaving and thread-to-thread-bonding

    Trecker systems mounting/pulling tear edges

    Joining with different adhesives

    Inserts/bridging threads

The philosophy of these treatment approaches will be explained and
the techniques will be demonstrated.  Each participant will be able
to experiment and practice the various techniques.  The advantages
and benefits of the reweaving technique and the thread-to-thread
joining technique as treatment options will be outlined.  The choice
of tools and materials will be discussed.

Techniques demonstrated will be carried out under the microscope
using fine tools adapted from dentistry and entomology.  Repairs
made using these systems, although labour-intensive, are virtually
invisible.  These techniques allow for the viable repair of tears,
for the realignment of distortions or gaps resulting from tears and
can re-establish the visual, physical and mechanical integrity of
the canvas while using minimal intervention.

The reweaving technique can be especially effective for modern and
contemporary works of art (colour field paintings or works where
unpainted ground or raw canvas may be visible), and will add
significantly to a conservator's repertoire for the treatment of
tears in fabric-supported paintings.  Although invisible reweaving
has been developed for paintings on fabric-based supports, this
technique can be used as an alternative for the repair of torn woven
fabric where patching or lining is not an option.

Toolkits include:

    Dentist explorer double ended, corkscrew "Weston" (x2)

    Scalpel grip for insect needle

    Insect needle 000

    Tweezers for microscope with curved tips (x2)

    Self-holding tweezers with curved tip

    Cuticle scissors curved, 9.5 cm length

    Iron weights (approximately 300 g, diagonal tip) (x2)

    USB coffee warmer and USB charger (for keeping the glue warm)

    Micro hot needle, with temperature regulator and special tips
    (this is not included in the toolkit.  Participants are requested
    to bring this, if they have it already).  We recommend the
    wax-modelling station (ST083) with a tear mending tip included
    from

        <URL:http://www.startec.products.de>

If you are interested in attending the course please contact
info<-at->sral<.>nl.

Numbers are limited to 15 participants and are allocated on a first
come basis.

Startec hot needles are also available to order at a cost of EUR
68.75 The cost of the hot needle is not included in the price of the
workshop.  If you are interested in buying please indicate on
registration.  Orders can also be placed on completion of the
workshop.

SRAL is a leading institute specialised in the conservation and
restoration of paintings, sculptures, contemporary artworks and
historic interiors.  We provide an integrated approach to
conservation issues through research, consultancy and education.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:31
                  Distributed: Friday, January 9, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-31-012
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