Ottawa - Canadian Association for Conservation

New Methodologies for In Situ Non-Invasive Spectroscopic Analyses
of 20 th Century Synthetic Painting Materials
Kenza Kahrim, Canadian Government Laboratory Visiting Fellow
Canadian Conservation Institute, Ottawa ON
Rapid and prolific advances in technology during the 20 th century resulted in the manufacture of synthetic
organic materials, primarily destined for industrial use. Artists were keen to employ many of these new
materials for the working properties that they offered. Today, museums and private collectors try to safeguard
these artistic works constituted of infinite different materials for which there is limited knowledge of their
properties of aging, response to environmental conditions, or reaction to conservation treatments. Such issues
have led to an international surge in research and resources dedicated to the conservation of modern and
contemporary art, resulting in a number of conferences and the formation of specialized working groups over
the past twenty years.
This presentation is based upon PhD research carried out at the University of Perugia (2006-2009) within the
framework of EPISCON 1 , responding to “a specific need that is likely to become greater; the development of
techniques to assess the condition of works of art in situ.” 2
The scientific study of works of art is most often carried out by micro-sampling, allowing scientists to
characterize the nature of inorganic and organic materials using analytical laboratory techniques. The
development of non-invasive techniques that do not require sample preparation nor impart any change to the
analyzed material, could eliminate the practice of micro-sampling 20 th century works. This approach would
enable the analysis of materials in situ, and the development of portable instrumentation that could lead to the
analysis of works on-site. Thus the movement of fragile or highly compromised works to a laboratory would be
prevented.
Testing the capabilites and limitations of non-invasive techniques will ensure the success of such an approach.
A thorough evaluation of their potential for the characterization of complex and chemically similar materials
that consitute the synthetic organic products employed by artists in the past century is also required to provide
a strong foundation.
This presentation will explore certain aspects of the PhD research in which techniques such as micro-Raman,
mid-FTIR, near-FTIR and UV-vis absoption/fluorescence spectroscopies have been optimized for analysis of
a carefully selected range of materials commonly encountered in painted works of modern and contemporary
art. Repeat data acquisition, detailed spectral interpretation and the application of powerful tools such as
multivariate analysis, where appropriate, has led to the successful passage from laboratory to on-site analysis,
despite the challenges that the latter condition may impose.
1 Project funded by the European Community’s Marie Curie 6 th Framework Program. www.episcon.scienze.unibo.it/episcon/
2 T. Learner, Modern and Contemporary Art: New Conservation Challenges, Conflicts and Considerations.
Conservation Perspectives, The GCI Newsletter, 24.2, (Fall 2009) 4-10.