MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART de la conservation. de laconservation. œuvresleurspeuvent représenter plan le sur que défis les que ainsi Fetish Finish groupe le par employés techniques les et matériaux les sur portant cours en étude d’une jour ce à recherches des l’avancée présente article Cet industrielle. et manuelle production de objets entre et sculpture, et peinture entre frontières les brouillaient qui épurées, lignes brillants,colorés aux et objets créaient des Ils tion souvent empruntés au monde industriel. tériaux innovants et des processus de fabrica ma de éventail large un utilisant fornienne, cali culture la de inspiré art un produisaient « l’appellation Sous artistique. foyer principal New particulierà York,en et lealorsétait qui États-Unis, aux ailleurs partout produit l’art de distinguait se qui Sud, du Californie la à et fleurir toute une scène artistique spécifique Dans les années 1960, Los Angeles a vu naître Résumé lenges that their works may pose. Finish Fetish group and the conservation chal study into the materials and techniques of the some of the findings to date from an ongoing on reports paper Thisobjects. produced ally industri and handcrafted between and ture, sculp and painting between boundaries the blurred that objects colorful and bright less, world. industrial createdseam Theythe from rials and fabrication processes often borrowed culture, using a wide range of innovative mate artists, they produced art inspired by California Fetish”Look”the “Finish or “LA as to referred York, the main artistic center at the time. Often New particular in States, United the in where else produced being art from distinct fornia, bloom of an art scene specific to Southern Cali and birth the saw Angeles Los 1960s, the In Abstr plastics, Keywords: *Author for correspondence [email protected] Los Angeles, USA CA, Institute Conservation Getty Tom Learner [email protected] Los Angeles, USA CA, Institute Conservation Getty Emma Richardson [email protected] Los Angeles, USA CA, Institute Conservation Getty Ra
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», ces artistes ces », ------scene specific to Los Angeles. Los to specific art scene burgeoning rapidly a of birth the saw 1960s early the York, New in While art American in the 1950s was by mostly dominated artists working Introduction some of the findings from the initial phase of this project, gathered from discusses paper This work. their of conservation the and for implications artists, Fetish Finish the of processes fabrication and into materials study the a undertaking been has Institute Conservation Getty the art, As part of its research into the conservation of modern and contemporary Zwirner, New York. Photo by Cathy Carver. ofDavid Courtesy Zwirner, New York view,Installation Figure 1 handcrafted and industrially-produced objects. 3D, 2D and sculpture, and painting between boundaries the blurred often by inspired culture 1). (Figure directly objects California In doing so, they from the industrial world to create seamless, bright, and pristine-looking processesfabricationinnovative highly adopted and plastics, and paints artists also earned them the label “Finish Fetish”. beautiful, pristine surfaces that were often painstakingly achieved by and these colors sensuous The decade. the throughout Look” “LA distinctive aWain Valentine,creating De and Pashgian Helen McCracken, John like others by joined be to soon was Bell, Larry and Bengston, Al Billy Kauffman, Craig including Boulevard, Cienega La on Gallery Ferus Primary Atmospheres:Primary Works from California 1960–1970 1 A group of artists, associated with the the with associated artists, of group A Artists by theFinishetish conserv processes and to finish:ma The LAl ook fromst a , January 8 , January 2 They used new resins, tion ofwork terials, – February 62010,David art s 1 MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART que susobras puedenplantear. grupo del técnicas las y materiales los sobre curso realizados hasta hoy a partir de un estudio en descubrimientos algunos sobre información artesanales e industriales. Este artículo aporta objetos entre como así escultura, y pintura entrefronteras las borraban que coloridos, y dustrial. Crearon objetos contínuos, brillantes in ámbito del prestados tomaban menudo a que fabricación de procesosinnovadores y na, empleando una gran gama de materiales dujeron arte inspirado en la cultura california del artistas “ artistas, frecuentemente conocidos como los Estos época. la de artístico centro principal el York, Nueva de especialmente Unidos, Estados de parte otra cualquier de arte al distinta California, de sur del específica tica artís escena una de florecimiento y miento naci al asistió AngelesLos 1960, años los En Resumen Finish Fetish Finish Fetish y los retos de conservación ” o del “ LA LookLA ”, pro - - - - - Ma and work, their of scientific analyses to identify and characterize the materials being used. examinations technical artists, the with interviews polyester resin, pouring it straight onto the support and letting it level, level, it letting and support the onto straight it pouring resin, polyester (Figures his brightly colored sculptures, on top of plywood covered with fiberglass coat to lacquers nitrocellulose automotive used also McCracken works, on identified also was paintings,his of coat two clear based for butyrate made panels polyvinyl A aluminum aircraft. of scraps and Masonite canvas, including supports of range a on varnish, final as coatings floor even and lacquers automotive nitrocellulose-based enamels, household acrylics, of brands paints, differentdifferent oil, used has He work. same many the on simultaneously sometimes try to him led experimentation for appetite His (2010). materials” about head piston “a as himself describes Bengston 1978). (Rubenfien color” of kind car- and materials and sign-painting colors the way artists would any other used I so culture… car a is, and was, course, of Los Angeles and etc… signs I off cars, took work things saw from in “My the said earlier streets: Bengston 1995). (Kellein chips” color “mobile as cars saw McCracken of LA’s car on culture ubiquitous their work, and their choice of materials. influence strong the acknowledged both McCracken John and Bengston mass-culture: and modernity with synonymous also was Angeles Los (1984). is’” it ‘here say and sky or ocean of chunks large out cut saw,to magic way,a some have to like would sky.I the And and sea the about is work the “all how De Wain and Valentine describes California”, in way that in it experience only could you and fate… my sealed things in his art. reproduce Helen Pashgian to (2010) explained how tried “Light and he water, those something two ocean, the of surface changing ever the for fascination his of source the as surfing of experience life-long his sees (2010) were Bengston Al Billy 1960s, the surroundings. their in by influenced Angeles clearly Los in working artists, Fetish Finish The at PPG to modify a polyester resin that could be used in a single a in casting. used This enabledbe him to could create enormous columns, that slabs and discs resin of polyester a modify to PPG at increase the scale of his sculpture, Valentine worked with a polymer to chemistfor ways searching Constantly 1991). Colpitt 1971, in (Newwark 1965 eventually moving to LA to teach a course in plastics technology at UCLA he later worked with fiber-glass reinforced plastic in boat shops in Colorado, resin to (Bordeaux make 1950, polyester he jewelry casting started as early As material. new a of invention the behind force driving the was in that he not only adopted materials created for different applications, but especially as a material for casting rather than resin, coating. Valentinepolyester with was unusual experimenting also were artists other time, this By (Kellein 1995). perfection of degree greater and surface flatter much a in resulted which terials
2 and 3). In 1967, however, McCracken switched to using pigmented Hidden Gold Hidden (1966) and (1966) conserv the FinishetishArtists The LAl Tom to finish:ma a (1968). In his earlierhis In (1968). tion ofwork ook fromst processes and terials, s by art
1979); 1979); ‑ pour pour 2
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART Courtesy of the Norton SimonMuseum oftheNorton Courtesy De Wain Valentine, Figure 4 of theOrange County MuseumofArt John McCracken, Figure 3 Mykonos Large Wall (1965). Courtesy (1965).Courtesy (1968). solidpolyester. largestthe of One examplesis Mykonos ofnitrocelluloseFTIR spectra lacquers usedby Bengston in1966for Figure 2 Pyrogram ofasample from Figure 5 composition of the resin used by McCracken has remained very constant. constant. very remained has McCracken by used resin the of composition Museum of Art spanning over two decades, from 1971 to 1992, County Orange the from works four of analyses py-GCMS and Sampling phthalate. dimethyl plasticizer the contains addition in Valentine, but by used resin the to similar very composition a has McCracken by used resin The resin. polyester unsaturated a thermosetting a 5), of typical (Figure composition components main the as acid phthalic and 1,2-ethanediol Py-GCMS analysis of a piece of the resin from manufactured by Hasting Plastics in Santa Monica. was and Resin, Maskast Valentine name trade the under 1966 in market (Figure 4), which weighs approximately two tons. The resin came on the withreference usedfor spectra identification Large Wall (1968) conserv Large Wall the FinishetishArtists Tom The LAl LargeWall andMcCracken in1965for to finish:ma a tion ofwork ook fromst processes and identified styrene, , made in1968 in1968 made , 3 show that the terials, s by art 3
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART from 1968to 1972 the LaJollaMuseumofContemporary Art Thomas S. Tibbs (1917–2002),Director of purchase, dedicated in2002honorof Diego, San Contemporary Museum Art Bengston, Museumof 1962.Collection Billy Al Bengston Figure 6 Buster (1962).©BillyAl Kauffman remained faithful to cast acrylic plastic, after briefly experimenting with the differences in indexes refractive between the two Craig materials. playing spheres, of polyester her center the into rods acrylic inserted also Helen Pashgian started using cast polyester resin around 1968, but in 1969 automotive primer was a dark gray, with the red area also having a white The 6). (Figure Masonite on lacquer automotive nitrocellulose sprayed of two equivalent years rent, the and still was has it. time that at claims he which $200, for setup gun spray first his bought He technique. the with virtuoso a became quickly He workshops. body auto for intended gun a spray using started he when processes non-artistic towards turn to first the amongst was Bengston 1972. and 1970 between CalTech at residence in artist was Pashgian and engineer, in an eight week course in auto body school, Fred Eversley trained as an enrolled (Chicago) Gerowitz Judy motorcycles, raced Bengston shops, time. same theValentine about at industrialprocesses to boatin worked and it is coincidental that many of the Finish Fetish artists were exposed was the result of individual circumstances rather than a concerted effort, and the famously aerospace Interestingly, sign automobile, industries. this most industries, of a variety from processes also fabrication and but technologies materials, only not borrowed 1960s the in artists Angeles Los Fabric available. widely more became they when enamels acrylic to turned he before enamels household and oilinitially was pieces his on color Theyears. the over differentbrands used has Kauffman him, representing gallery the of owner the Lloyd, Frank with communication written a to according but PMMA, of brand for was made with a non-invasive portable FTIR for The identification (PMMA). as polymethylmethacrylate being confirmed (1963), as well as and paintings, later for his Stick” vacuum-formed wall-reliefs, “Hockey bubbles and his loops. In for support flat a as first glass, with flatter, sheerer paint surfaces. Kauffman was possibly the first LAfirst the possiblyartist Kauffmanflatter,was surfaces. paint sheerer muchattain to him enabled also gun spray the using but clean, lines his had quickly figured out that applying paint from the back was a way to keep Kauffman 2009). (Kauffman works acrylic his of back the to paint apply to gun spray a use to Kauffman encouraged who Bengston indeed was It up to a hundred. often paint, of coats 20 of minimum a sprayed typically He application. color final the underneath surfaces reflective create which of both blue, the under silver and red, the under sub-color gold a spraying example for colors, the up built slowly then He center. the in circle orange the and circle blue powder the edge, blue dark the first primer, the on areas certain out masked Bengston luminosity. its increase to beneath primer Untitled Wall Relief a tion Processes Untitled Wall . Plexiglas is perhaps the best known commercial commercial known best the perhaps is . Plexiglas Buster
Relief (1962), for instance, was with made for instance, (1962), (1967), the cast acrylic sheet was was sheet acrylic cast the (1967), conserv the FinishetishArtists The LAl Plane Jane to finish:ma a tion ofwork ook fromst processes and and py-GCMS terials, Plain Jane s by art 4
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART Brian Forest andHelenPashgian Photography by BrianForrest. of Courtesy Helen Pashgian Figure 7 Untitled (1968–1969). workingwith Planet Plastics, in Paramount, acompany that employed a started eventually and factories, plastic of number a visited He objects. when he started looking at ways to transform his paintings into low relief processes to on industrial early turned very and also to plastics with work although on a much larger scale: for some of his works, it required fourexperimentation, men similar through went Valentine cure. properly never or the to cause piece could break, if which, incorrect, of the amount catalyst, especially error, and trial of result the much very polish. was process whole The surface immaculate seemingly final, the give to sandpaper fine with extremely with to polishing hand shape, the initial to tools impart sanding electric rough the from involved, was sanding painstaking Much dye. red a with tinted resin polyester over poured and around piece the turned she cured, was it Once sphere. the over and sides the to liquid the pushing it, in sphere clear the laid carefully She dye. blue of drops few a with tinted resin polyester in pour to carton”, milk a like “something mold, cylindrical a used she stage, second the For polished. and sanded then was which 2010), (Pashgian dry” it get to in lettuce the salad, the spin you things little “the like something mold, made in three parts. She first prepared a clear sphere from a polyethylene industrial 7, Figure in shown dehumanized sphere The than processes. cooking home to akin more process a of result the actually were objects translucent small jewel-like, Pashgian’s with. experimented Kauffman that iterations different has technique The piece. entire the discard to Kauffman cause would which of the under action the solvent, and crazing delicate one, as the surface of the plastic was to susceptible stress cracking a quite was process The signage. commercial for designed paints acrylic solvent-based were themselves paints The spraying. before areas colored differentthe out mask to material, rubbery thick a mask, spray use then prepared the convex molds himself, with formica-coated plywood. He would softening temperature and then pulled onto a mold with vacuum. Kauffman until oven an in heated is plastic of sheet thin a relatively process, this In vacuum forming process to make advertisement signs and logos. a company to do the job for him, but soon bought his own piece of used used of piece own his bought soon but him, for job the do to company a contracted first mirror. He household a in as rear, its to opposed as glass, In this the process, coating is reflective applied to the surface of a piece of in used the industry.film surface” “front called a process and across came looking for a way of getting a reflective surface was on both He sides cubes. of a his glass of panel panels glass the coat to process industrial complex a towards turned Bell career, his in Early technology. vacuum-coating of use Bell’s Larry was process fabrication innovative most the of One or particulate boards (Valentine 2011). 1971), (Newwark plastic reinforced fiberglass or plate steel quarter-inch a either materials, tougher much of made be to had molds his a As result, wrong. went anything if incidents dangerous in result could curing upon to put a single mold together, and the amount of stress and heat developed conserv Untitled the FinishetishArtists The LAl to finish:ma a tion ofwork (1968–1969), was (1968–1969), ook fromst processes and terials, s by art 5
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART Craig Gallery, Krull SantaMonica Lubliner. Malcolm Lubliner Courtesy and California, 1969.©Photo by Malcolm inhisstudio, Bell Larry Venice Beach, Figure 8 New Mexico. He still uses the same process and machine today. machine and process same the uses still He Mexico. New (Figure 8), he had a larger machine built and installed in his studio in Taos, Thin Films equipment and learned to use it with a book entitled an immaculate surface is a prerequisite. Helen Pashgian explained this this explained Pashgian Helen prerequisite. a is surface immaculate an and light transparencywith worked and who were artists involved those in theespecially birth perhaps of theothers, Light For and Space Movement, (Bengston 2010). chicks” like look it make to be would it Fetish Finish a had I “If bumps. delicate surface of his paintings should look like skin, with small goose- “I don’t want it to lookthem: like you can ride it home” (Bengston 2010). Thepaint to used techniques from draw they though like even look tank, gas not a should surfaces sprayed Bengston Al Billy one. right the but surface, perfect a obtaining about not is it artists, these of some For properties. surface of importance the to efficiently alludes term the But of art. work the of, experience and with, interacting the end, an to means the only is finish the that is this for reason The describe. to supposed is it artists the around rallied not has Fetish Finish term The Surf 2010). 2006, (Bell assembled and selected inspected, handled, about 36 hours are coated, needed for is the film panel to oxidize the before the Once panels can be monoxide. silicon and alloy, nickel-chrome a years included aluminum, for its brightness and rapid evaporation, inconel, the over with worked has Bell metals main three The multi-layering. and deposits, metal the where control to stencils thickness), the determines are the type of metal, angle of the glass panel, length of exposure (which onto deposits the glass. The that the variables different artist can play with and filaments, metal from evaporates the metal at angle; a slight chamber vacuum the within held are panels glass His (2006). glass” that hits that it’slightglass,isn’t the media “My declared elegantly Bell panel. glass the by transmitted and reflected absorbed, is light the way the modifying The machine deposits a micron thin metallic film on the surface of the glass, excluded. excluded. Bell, almost in contradiction with himself, accepts that his works A however, of as ageing acceptance, certain a part is a process, not natural absorbed, or transmitted” (2006). reflected, that’s light the except anything see to you want don’t I glass... the on fingerprints see to you want don’t I glass. the on stains see to you to damage by the artists. The feeling is shared by Larry Bell: “I don’t want level” for calls a deeper of surface very low a tolerance The pristine importance (2010). much a on piece the with deal can we so finish, deal the to with need we why that’s But ways. those in it to relate to it, through to it, into see or it outside, is inside whether piece, the with interact to all able being is that’s point the – all at scratch… finish the not a is it of is point The see. you there if works, these of any “On clearly: very a ce propertiesandconserv (Holland 1956). When he became more familiar with the process conserv a tion the FinishetishArtists The LAl to finish:ma a Vacuum Deposition of tion ofwork ook fromst processes and terials, s by art 6
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART is equally ready to tolerate little knocks and scratches, but also sets the limit:“Ifsomething becomes bigsothat’s the allyou see, then tomethat is sets also but scratches, and knocks little tolerate to ready equally is as long as they tolerated don’t “take away of the presence Bengston the (2006). piece” be may damages minor or chips small that and life, a have his piece, for example the white small craters on craters small white the example for piece, his of making the to linked imperfections accepted explicitly has McCracken (2010). fixing” for cause knowthedifference: defining thePop ArtSixties. In Allan, K., L. Bradnock , References 3 2 1 Notes this group of artists will emerge. and analyzed, a studied more thorough pictureare of the materials pieces and techniques more of and continues project the As processes. ageing their in help understanding will which used, of the materials composition chemical the on details with information this complemented has analysis their efforts should be visible and the surface should be Scientific pristine. unique way the mark of their makers, yet if the process is successful none of finish may evoke mass-produced objects. Each of these objects bears in a dexterity behind the making of these works, even though their impeccable manual and labor time-consuming craftsmanship, of amount incredible an is thereprocesses that sense a emerges descriptions, creative these Through intent. and their into insight fascinating a as well as used, they that processes fabrication and of materials range on wide the information technical invaluable given have artists Fetish Finish the with Interviews C intent. artist’s the against materials original the preserving of needs the balancing of faced, are art contemporary and modern of conservators works appear to be excellent examples of the constant dilemmas with which and what should be the extent of this intervention. Indeed, the Finish Fetish with faced difficult conservators questions when it leave comes to deciding may if an intervention is surface, required, pristine a for need the and The subjectivity and nuances of artists’ positions on tolerance to damage, if needed, to preserve the original look (1998). damages piece whole the on or small locally fix surface, the to polishing by scratches as such however advises He white a (1995). of use material the and polishing resin the of drying the from result that (1974),
oncl Peter Plagens first came up with the idea of “LA Look” while John Coplans invented invented Coplans John while Look” “LA of idea the with up came first Plagens Peter the term “Finish Fetish” (Allan et al., forthcoming). org/. art scene: Pacific Standard Time, Art in LA 1945–1980, http://www.pacificstandardtime. Red Cube In 2011, a major initiative across Southern California will celebrate the birth of the LA usion (1971), Red Pyramid (1974), and L. Tur Nine Planks I vey . conserv Forthcoming 2011. For people who who people 2011. For Forthcoming Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Angeles Time:Los Standard Pacific the FinishetishArtists (1974), The LAl to finish:ma Black Resin Painting I Painting Resin Black a tion ofwork Dream ook fromst processes and (1988–92). terials, s by art 7
MODERN MATERIALS AND CONTEMPORARY ART the Menil Collection, 18 April 2006. L., Bell, Getty Research Institute. 1945–1980, Art, instruments, 64 scans were collected at 4 cm both For ATRobjective. with in FTIR or portable (A2) detector, FlexScan MCT a with and situ objective, Cassegrain 15X FT-IR with (Bruker) 3000 microscope Hyperion a using out carried was analysis FTIR Appendix I–Experimental 2nd of February 2001. ValentineD. , 377–380. 4(4): Valentine, D. Rubinfien, L. Peter Alexander, andDeWain Pashgian, Helen Valentine. P April 2010. P Museum of Art. Mc Museum of Art. Mc L Basel, 1995. Kellein, T. Rivenc, 8 April 2009. K Holland California. Southern of Gallery,University Fisher California: C Bordea Bengston, B.A. Bell, L. for 2 mins, ramped 20°C/min to 320°C, then held at 320°C for 9 mins; MS ionization: 70eV.mins; 9 for 320°C at held then 320°C, to 20°C/min ramped mins, 2 for (0.25 mm 5975C inert MSD/7890A GCMS. Column: Frontier Ultra ALLOY-5 30m shot system pyrolyzer (550°C, 6 secs) to attached an Agilent Technologies Py-GCMS analysis was carried out on a Frontier Lab PY-2020D double- ash, gian H. ough, R., , H. ashgian, a olpitt uffman, C. CrackenJ. , J. Cracken, , 2010, personal communication, 26 January 2010. , F., ux, J.-L.
interview by L. Hickey-Friedman, Artists Documentation Program Archive, Archive, Program Documentation Artists Hickey-Friedman, L. by interview × , R.
, director , exhibition curator. 1991. curator. exhibition , 0.25 µm); helium carrier gas: 1 ml/min flow; GC oven: 40°C
interview with John McCracken, August 1995, in
Modern Art in Los Angeles: The Industrialized Gesture, a Conversation with eds. R. Peabody, A. Perchuk, G. Phillips, and R. Singh. Los Angeles: Angeles: Los Singh. R. and Phillips, G. Perchuk, A. Peabody, R. eds. 1956. , interview with Emma Richardson, Rani Singh and Catherine Taft, 8 Taft, Catherine and Singh Rani Richardson, Emma with interview , 1978. Through Western eyes. 1971. An interview with DeWain Valentine, sculptor of plastic. , , interview with Tom Learner, Rachel Rivenc and Emma Richardson, Emma and Rivenc Tomwith Learner,Rachel interview ,
interview with interview Tom Learner, Rani Singh Perchuk, Andrew and Rachel 1995. Verbal communication with Bruce Guenther, Orange County County Orange Guenther, Bruce with Verbalcommunication 1995. , interview with with , interview Tom 2010. Rivenc,27September LearnerandRachel 1998. Unpublished written communication with the Orange County County Orange the with communication written Unpublished 1998. 1979. Vacuum deposition of thin films. . 1984. Art in America A Good Time to be West Finish Fetish: LA’sschool Fetish: cool Finish December: 103–106. Art in America conserv -1 the FinishetishArtists , film, 1984. London: Chapman &Hall. resolution. The Getty Center, 19 May 2010. The LAl to finish:ma a September–October: 78. tion ofwork McCracken ook fromst processes and . Los Angeles, Angeles, Los . terials, , Kunsthalle , Kunsthalle s by art Leonardo 8