Paintings on canvas are complex dynamic structures made of a combination of organic and inorganic materials, often very hygroscopic and exhibiting different properties. Such complexity results in a variety of deterioration phenomena as a function of either the inherent aging of materials and their interaction with environmental conditions and their fluctuations.
Recent research has evidenced the correlation between the composition, drying and ageing of lipid binders and the resulting changes over time of the mechanical properties of oil paint films. As it has been already observed by SPAM! Team in previous studies, the complexity of modern artists’ oil formulations results in a series of specific alterations such as cracks, delamination, wrinkles, water sensitivity, brittleness and/or weakening, which are usually the result of complex pigment-binder interactions that have been scarcely investigated. The study of the mechanisms that trigger the observed alterations is thus an urgent issue to be addressed also to inform conservation practice.
Among such interactions, the study of oil paint films containing modern white pigments offers a very interesting and relevant topic for discussion. Considering that white pigments are present both in paint films and in ground layers, their degradation can have detrimental effects in the stability of the whole painted structure, compromising the long-term preservation of paintings in collections. This is especially relevant in of 19th and 20th century, a transition moment in-between traditional and industrially manufactured grounds, and also in coincidence with the introduction of pigments such as titanium white, zinc white and lithopone to substitute common lead-based grounds that fell into disuse due to toxicity issues by mid-19th century.
SPAM! Structure of Paintings: Artists’ Materials, Environment and Failure Mechanisms Project is aimed to document and investigate the degradation phenomena observed in modern and contemporary white oil paint films. The final goal is to understand the failure mechanisms governing paint degradation processes, and to determine to what extent the conservation environment might play a role in promoting, catalysing and/or slowing down such chemical and mechanical processes.
For this purpose, an inter and multidisciplinary group made up of 9 specialists with recognized international experience from different and complementary fields (Fine Arts, Conservation and Restoration, Heritage Science, Conservation Science, Mechanics, Physics, Photonics, Materials Science, Analytical Chemistry, Technical Art History and Computer Science) will provide a 360º perspective to the understanding of failure phenomenon in modern and contemporary canvas paintings presenting white oil paint films. The specialists involved in SPAM! belong to internationally renowned institutions in the field of Cultural Heritage Conservation where the most relevant studies for its preservation are currently carried out. In addition, an international Advisory Board formed by key international experts with prominent professional backgrounds from prestigious institutions will provide professional points of view on key issues and knowledge, to further enrich SPAM! project. Finally, the consortium counts on 3 End-Users1: the 2 most relevant Valencian collections (IVAM and Museo de Bellas Artes) that will provide access to 19th and 20th century real case studies, and a paint manufacturer (Golden Artists Colors, US) that will support the experimental research.
