PROCEEDINGS Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Conserving Outdoor Group of ICOM-CC Painted Sculpture Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 The Getty Conservation Institute Conserving Outdoor Painted Sculpture Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 Edited by Lydia Beerkens and Tom Learner The Getty Conservation Institute Los Angeles Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 The Getty Conservation Institute works internationally to The International Council of Museums (ICOM), created in 1946, is the world advance conservation practice in the visual arts, broadly organization representing museums and museum professionals, committed interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, to the promotion and protection of natural and cultural heritage, present and and sites. It serves the conservation community through future, tangible and intangible. With approximately 30,000 members in 137 scientific research, education and training, model field countries, ICOM is a unique network of museum professionals acting in a projects, and the broad dissemination of the results wide range of museum-and heritage-related disciplines. of both its own work and the work of others in the field. In all its endeavors, it focuses on the creation and The Committee for Conservation of ICOM (ICOM-CC) aims to promote the dissemination of knowledge that will benefit professionals conservation of culturally and historically significant works and to further the and organizations responsible for the conservation of the goals of the conservation profession. With over 2000 members, ICOM-CC world’s cultural heritage. is comprised of twenty-one specialist Working Groups, which actively com- municate with members through newsletters, meetings, and at the Triennial The Getty Conservation Institute Conference. The Coordinators of these Working Groups and the members of 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700 the Directory Board are conservation professionals who are elected to their Los Angeles, CA 90049-1684 United States posts by the general membership and who donate their time to ICOM-CC www.getty.edu/conservation over a three-year cycle. © 2014 J. Paul Getty Trust. All rights reserved. The Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC aims to promote and facilitate the dissemination of research, discussion, and Gary Mattison Production Coordinator thinking on the full range of conservation issues and implications for modern Dianne Woo, Copy Editor and contemporary art. Specifically, the group aims to provide an effective Hespenheide Design, Designer platform for those professionals involved in this area of conservation to net- work and share information, and to ensure the rapid circulation of details on ISBN: 978-1-937433-21-5 (online resource) relevant conferences, seminars, events, and publications. ISBN: 978-1-937433-22-2 (print on demand) Front cover: Robert Indiana, Love. © 2014 Morgan Art Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Tom Learner. Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 Contents Tom Learner, Head of Science, v Preface Getty Conservation Institute Liz Kreijn 1 Introduction: The Kröller-Müller Museum Gwynne Ryan 5 Conservation of Outdoor Painted Sculpture at the Hirshhorn: Taking Lessons from the Preservation of Variable Media Art Tom Learner and Rachel Rivenc 13 Conserving Outdoor Painted Sculpture: Outcomes from a Focus Meeting Lydia Beerkens and Ryu Vinci Tajiri 23 As Good as New: On the Recoating of Shinkichi Tajiri’s Square Knot (1974) in Venlo, the Netherlands Zeeyoung Chin 33 Conservation of Nam June Paik’s 32 Cars for the 20th Century: Play Mozart’s Requiem Quietly Julie Wolfe 43 Three Brushstrokes: Re-creating Roy Lichtenstein’s Early Techniques for Outdoor Painted Sculpture Susanne Kensche 55 Conservation of Christo’s 56 barrels: A Basis for Future Decision Making Frederike Breder 65 Preserving Artistic Style and Authentic Appearance in Hand-Painted Outdoor Sculptures Nikki van Basten, Sanneke Stigter, 73 Retouching Monochrome Outdoor Painted Metal Susanne Kensche, and René Peschar Sculptures: Tests for Claes Oldenburg’s Trowel Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 iv Julia Lütolf and Peter von Bartheld 81 A Memory of Materials: From Production to Documentation of Outdoor Painted Sculptures Paul L. Benson 87 Some Considerations in Determining New Paint Systems for Use in the Treatment of Painted Fiberglass and Steel Outdoor Sculptures Hans Springvloet Dubbeld 95 Where the Dutch Paint Industry Meets Contemporary Art Thomas Dempwolf 103 Production and Conservation of a High-Gloss Outdoor Sculpture Calvin Winner 109 A Kind of Blue: Selecting a New Paint System for Refinishing John Hoskin’s One for Bristol Florian Szibor 117 “Not for Eternity maybe…”: Franz West’s Flause and Considerations on Outdoor Painted Sculpture Angelika Gervais 123 Alexander Calder’s Le Hallebardier: Recommendations for Care and Maintenance Stéphanie Gagné and Monique Benoît 131 Preservation of Outdoor Painted Sculpture in Quebec 139 List of Meeting Participants 143 About the Contributors Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 Preface The world’s great cities, museums, and sculpture gar- as appearance, durability, and respect for the artist’s dens own and display outdoor painted sculpture by intent against the more widely adopted practice in the some of the most influential artists of the twentieth conservation profession of retaining original materials century, among them Alexander Calder, Niki de Saint- on works of art. Although most conservators under- Phalle, Jean Dubuffet, Sol LeWitt, Roy Lichtenstein, and stand the need to work closely with artists or their Claes Oldenburg. Such outdoor pieces, however, require respective estates and/or foundations, no real proto- frequent conservation treatments because of the harsh cols are in place for ensuring that the color and sur- environments to which they are exposed, including face of replacement paint systems match the paints that intense light/UV radiation and adverse weather condi- the artist initially used, and discussion of this issue tions, as well as vandalism and accidental damage. is not widespread among the conservation profession. Clearly, outdoor painted surfaces cannot be pro- In addition, there is often uncertainty about the exact tected to the same degree as a painting or sculpture role a conservator plays in the decision-making process that is housed indoors, where these factors can be more with the range of professionals involved in such an effectively controlled. Nevertheless, conservation strat- undertaking. egies for these works are still a necessity. Conservation One recent element of the Getty Conservation treatments are usually major and expensive undertak- Institute’s Modern and Contemporary Art Research ings, especially if the need has gone beyond local con- Initiative has been to assess the needs of conservators solidation and inpainting. Such treatments frequently working on outdoor painted sculpture. Building off involve full repainting of the sculpture, which is often the outcomes of a focus meeting organized by the GCI preceded by complete removal of all prior coats of paint and held in June 2012 at the Metropolitan Museum of in order to ensure proper adhesion of the replacement Art (the report of which can be found here: http://www coating, allowing optimum protection to the substrate .getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/science/outdoor/ underneath. In practice, such treatments are gener- outdoor_focus_mtg.pdf), this assessment has involved ally executed by specialists in the paint industry who a broad approach that includes improving analytical are knowledgeable about the application of paints and methods of identifying the various types of coatings coatings in outdoor environments. This approach is used, exploring the practicalities of producing swatches common around the world and strongly guided by the of agreed color and surfaces for specific artists that desire to preserve the original aesthetic qualities of the could be made available to conservators, undertaking sculpture itself. selected case studies, and helping to disseminate the These important, and often iconic, works of art ongoing work in the field to the broader conservation therefore pose difficult practical and ethical choices community. These proceedings fall squarely into this for conservators, who need to balance factors such last category. v Proceedings from the interim meeting of the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art Working Group of ICOM-CC Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, June 4–5, 2013 vi The symposium Conserving Outdoor Painted industry and fabricators must consider when developing Sculpture took place in June 2013 at the Kröller-Müller or recommending new paint systems or assisting artists Museum (KMM) in Otterlo, the Netherlands,