NASA scientists may restore damaged Monet
Registered User
able to restore a destroyed Money Water Lillies painting. The surface of
this painting was completely blackened in a 1958 fire at the NY Museum
of Modern Art. They donated the painting to the NY Institute of Fine Arts
research division, in the hopes that studying the painting might lead to
advancements in restoration techniques. And a bold new experiment may
be the result.
NASA scientists have been experimenting with "atomic lasers" which are
carefully controlled beams of mono-atomic atoms. They use an oxygen
laser to test the durability of spacecraft and spacesuit materials in the
upper atmosphere where materials can be etched with high-energy
atomic fields.
Now a couple of researchers believe that an oxygen laser can be used to
strip off the carbonized black surface of the Water Lillies painting,
revealing the underlying paint. Depending on how deep the blackening
goes into the binder, a considerable proportion of the pigment may be
revealed in an undamaged state. Layers as thin as a few molecules can
be stripped off without disturbing the underlying layers. Amazing.
I recall reading about the NYMOMA fire and seeing photos of the original
work, it was a tragedy that such a beautiful painting was lost, and I look
forward to seeing if even a vestige of it can be restored. This technique
may be the start of a new era for art conservation.
Zoe Beit
>This technique
>may be the start of a new era for art conservation.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there
is some way to completely reverse the fire
damage effects, somehow reverting the black
ash back to it's original state. It's possible
the ability is there but someone never thought
about using it for some other purpose than
what it's been used for up until now.
Registered User
Yes, you see the direction this is heading. Conservators can now deal with
painting surfaces in nearly monoatomic layers. Perhaps they can alter the
chemistry of those layers directly. But the polymer chemistry of oil painting is
rather complex, and I suspect that burned and blackened binder is irretrievably
destroyed.
Zoe Beit
>I suspect that burned and blackened binder is irretrievably
>destroyed.
But don't you see, if you believe that way
you would never make the advances in technology
that defy logical thinking such as yours.
It's necessary to constantly "think outside the
box" in order to make ground-breaking discoveries.
And to keep this topical, it's artists who are
able to "think outside the box" who make up the
"cutting edge" faction in the world of art today.