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"It is a common practice to deal with the conservation of outdoor sculpture only after a sculpture begins to have ... problems."
Youngia Lee Kim (Chief Conservator at The Art Museum, Princeton University) |
It is not self-evident why sculpture in public places is suject to corrosion. Not when our leading museums exhibit spendid bronze art and artifacts some 3400 years old, in near perfect condition, rescued from the floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
Valuable works of art are routinely ignored after their installation and revisited only when something is visibly wrong and a costly restoration is required. Airborne pollutants and moisture (the primary enemies) attack surfaces chemically over time. Sculpture is often within easy reach of the public, retains water after rains, is sprayed with fertilizer, is a favorite target of birds and vandels, and is often improperly cleaned if cleaned at all.
There is a national effort underway to reverse this trend and restore public and corporate treasures. The restoration of the Statue of Liberty was the most publicized and involved sculpture restoration and conservation effort in history. Fortunately, most projects are on a somewhat smaller scale and easily handled with products and methods in common use at leading museums.
As the person responsible for the condition of your art collection, what should you be aware of? What practical steps should you take to restore or conserve the appearance and market value of your sculpture? Please give Owens a call. |
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Brian Owens in partnership with David Lee Cumbie
repaired superficial damage caused by vandels to the
"Nijinsky Hare"
An outdoor sculpture at the SunTrust Building
in downtown Orlando. Year: 1992 |
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Brian Owens
(T) 386-956-1724
© 2004 Brian R. Owens |
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brianowensart.com |
(T)386-956-1724 |
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