| |
Painting is included in what we call “Easel Work”; all
movable artistic paintings, whether they are made of wood,
fabric, metal, vinyl, paper, etc. Using any classic
technique like oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, etc. or
less traditional materials, such as color glaze, car paint,
organic or mineral material.
Easel work paintings include different elements. These
elements vary according to the used technique. However, they
always include some kind of base. We may find two options
when talking about paintings, with or without preparation
base which works as adhesive of the materials of the
painting. We may or may not find a protective varnish, what
we know is that contemporary paintings this type of varnish
was used as part of an expression technique which enhances
the master pieces glazes.
Easel work paintings are checked under a strict test, to be
able to analyze every layer of the painting. Once the damage
state of the painting has been established and the correct
procedure of intervention will be decided to be able to
stabilize the damage of the painting. We must eliminate
parasites if necessary, and the protection of the original
painting must be safely kept with a protective varnish and a
special paper-cloth screen. Sometimes before this process is
made, some previous unprofessional applied restoration must
be removed. And once all these steps have been concludes
restoration and preservation will be done.
Easel work paintings conservation consists in stabilized
every single layer of the painting, but specially the
original paint that was used. The base layer may disappear
and therefore endanger the painting because parasites
infestation. In some other cases, like when it is too dark
and the beauty and spirit of the painting is been hidden,
varnish must be removed. This phenomenon occurs because of
oxidation or oil excess. Sometimes even the middle layers of
the painting may be damaged because they had been modified
with wax, to mention one external material used to keep all
layers together.
Restoration in paintings, or in any other kind of master
pieces, is about esthetics, beauty, to be able to understand
and transmit the message or feeling the artist wanted to
express when he was creating it. Whenever we observe a
painting, a sculpture, or any other piece of art. We must be
allowed to be exposed to every single one of the elements
the author included in his master piece. So we may sense the
emotion the artist wanted to transmit with it. Whether this
is love, happiness or even hate and rejection.
When the integrity of the master piece has been compromised
because of a missing part, a tearing, and external stroke of
paint or the darkening of a varnish and therefore we will
not be able to fully appreciate it. This master piece has
lost its purpose of communicating, expressing or
transmitting something. And of course the author´s intention
gets lost as well.
Contemporary master pieces show a wide variety on new
techniques and the traditional focus in creating art has
been put aside. The new pieces can be made with or in a
common box, and still be considered a master piece. New
material is been used, such as vinyl, newspapers, cardboard
paper, metal, etc. Any kind if spare parts will be recycled
by the artist in order to express his feelings. These new
elements can be an old string, a wooden box, a bottle cap,
all mixed with and old picture and a broken doll. End each
of the elements will enhance the message and the strength of
the feeling the author wanted to embrace allowing us, the
audience, to amuse ourselves when observing the new
masterpiece.
When restoring or preserving this kind of art each one of
the elements will be treated according to its material
specifications, but never forgetting master piece as a
whole. Sometimes this piece has an additional function
besides been in an art gallery or decorating a house. In
that case the function itself must be considered and
enhanced, due to the fact that if the piece loses its
function that is as a chair or a necklace it would lose
meaning in life. |
|
