KEITH HARING A PISA. PULITURA E PROTEZIONE DI UN DIPINTO ACRILICO ESPOSTO IN AMBIENTE ESTERNO.

Antonio Rava1, Will Shank2, Perla Colombini3, Oscar Chiantore4, Marcello Picollo5, Vincenzo Palleschi6 et alii

1Restauratore: ravaec@ipsnet.it,

2Restauratore: willshank@earthlink.net

3INSTM-SCIBEC: perla@dcci.unipi.it,

4 UNITO: oscar.chiantore@unito.it,

5CNR-IFAC: m.picollo@ifac.cnr.it,

6ICCOM-CNR: vincenzo.palleschi@cnr.it

ABSTRACT: 

Within the research project “Preventive Conservation of Contemporary Art” (COPAC, 2011 – 2013), financially supported by the Regione Toscana (Tuscany, Italy), different research institutions, conservators, city councils, are working together to define the materials used in contemporary artworks and to monitor their conservation and/or their deterioration over time.

In this paper the data acquired on the large mural Tuttomondo (1989) painted by Keith Haring (1958 – 1990) on the wall of the Church of Sant’Antonio in Pisa (Italy) will be reported.

Tuttomondo is one of a few extant Haring murals, worldwide. Although it was in a relatively good state of conservation, alterations and fading of the colours, yellowing and darkening of the white background, and losses in the black lines were observed. A diagnostic survey was begun in September 2011 to evaluate the state of conservation of the mural in order to support the conservation intervention which was focused on cleaning and the subsequent protection of the mural painting.

In regards to the yellowing and darkening of the white background, as well as the fading of the colours, cleaning tests were carried out, using various materials (e.g. hard erasers, deionised water, wishab, and cleaning emulsions). It was decided to use a colorimeter to monitor and document the colour variations caused by each cleaning test on selected areas both before and after the cleaning process.

The final cleaning procedure, was able to regain as much as possible the vivid original colours.

The results obtained on the mural Tuttomondo showed that FORS and colorimetric measurements were relevant not only for the characterization of the materials and the state of their conservation, but also to help the conservators in identifying and selecting appropriate cleaning/conservation procedures.

Key-words: external, acrylic, surfaces.