Case Studies – supporting conservation at Tate
AXA Art Project: Modern Paints
Acrylic paints and primers have been widely used by artists since the early 1960s. Until recently however appropriate conservation techniques have not been researched. This research project, generously supported by AXA Art, aims to find ways in which art works using modern paints can be conserved in the future, before the signs of ageing become apparent; and to explore preventative measures that owners of these works can employ to prolong the life of the work. Tate's research will be available for public and private collections around the world.
In support of the project, David Hockney said: 'Oil paint has been used by artists for 600 years, so modern conservators have six centuries of experience to draw on and develop. Acrylics, on the other hand, are little more than half a century old. It is extremely important and very welcome that Tate's research into the future conservation of these relatively new materials is being done now to ensure these artworks will be kept in good condition for centuries to come.'
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: Inherent Vice: The Replica and its Implications in Modern Sculpture
This is an ambitious project concerned with the documentation of material changes in twentieth-century sculptures and the questions that result from the possibility of replication as a solution. The goals of the project are to pioneer new research, to open debate and collaboration with other institutions, and to establish international standards of practice related to the controversial issue of replicas. Supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and now in its second year, this research project has brought together international scholars to debate the curatorial and ethical consequences of the unforeseen degradation of works by artists such as Naum Gabo, Marcel Duchamp and László Moholy-Nagy.
John Schaeffer Nevill Keating Project: Eighteenth-century Paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Johan Zoffany
The eighteenth century has been described as England's 'golden age' of painting, yet many of Tate's paintings from this period were not suitable for display with thick layers of ageing varnish clouding their true beauty. With the support of our generous benefactors this two-year project has addressed these issues by providing a dedicated paintings conservator to undertake full restorations of a number of important paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Johan Zoffany while at the same time undertaking necessary analytical and research work that can be shared beyond Tate.