< WHAT GOES WRONG WITH METAL SCULPTURES
OPTIONS FOR RESTORATION
‘Restoration’ can be as much about preventing any further deterioration as actually returning a cast sculpture to it’s original foundry condition. An influential school of thought suggests that the effects of time and environment (even the negative effects thereof), are as much a part of a sculpture’s ‘story’, as those features deliberately imposed by the artist and founder at the time of creation.
Undoubtably there are circumstances where intervention becomes necessary, possibly because the sculpture has suffered a physical trauma such as being severely vandalised, or if metallic fabric of the scupture has deteriorated to a point beyond which it will not viably survive. What is important is to plan a sympahetic schedule of restoration that involves a minimum of intervention. This will usually require the commissioning of a restoration specialist to fully assess the damage to the sculpture, prefrably a professional with a proven expertise in metals and sculpture. Even in the unlikely event that the original founder is known, still trading and has a detailed recollection of the sculpture’s construction, a specialist’s report should still be considered (unless the cast is reletively new and can be returned to the founder for repair). Doing this should minimise the possibility of irreparably damaging the artwork though improper treatment.
It will also have to be determined if it is possible to carry out the restoration in-situ, or if the sculpture will have to be removed to a secure workshop. There are advantages and disadvantages with either option that will have to be weighed up and considered according to individual circumstances (see also INSTALLATION).
The extent of any recommended restoration programme will of course depend on the level of damage endured by the sculpture. If the cast has been broken in any way the restorer will need to make a major repair; which will be somewhat easier to effect if the break follows the original cast section's joint line and the detached element is recovered in a usable condition. Ideally the restorer will reassemble the work using the original founder’s jointing method (not necessarily fusion welding), and make good the joint in keeping with the rest of the cast. Any lost sections may be re-modelled, cast, and then attached to the damaged work where appropriate, though this must be done very dilligently, a task made significantly easier if an extensive photographic record exists of the [complete] original.
Where corrosion has severely affected a cast sculpture, the first action of the restorer after assessment will be to arrest the damage and stabalise the corroded area(s) of metal. There are a variety of options available to the restorer, and these are used according to the particular circumstances of the job and personal preference. Options can range from a simple washing and rewaxing procedure, through to extensive treatments that can take some months, even years to complete properly. Some of the more common treatments are briefly outlined in the next page.
MECHANICAL, ABRASIVE, CHEMICAL & ELECTROLYTIC CLEANING >
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