Dangerous Diaries
This project investigates the risks and rewards of using hazardous materials in fabrication, inspired by cases such as William Morris’s arsenic-based pigments in wallpapers and Eva Hesse’s use of industrial materials like polyester resins and latex, which reportedly contributed to her death. An interdisciplinary team—including a chemist, conservator, ceramicist, geoarchaeologist, printmaker, sculptor, anthropologist, and historian—will keep diaries documenting their experiences of processes like carving, cooking, printmaking, and glassblowing. In conversation with artefacts from the UCL Collections, these “dangerous diarists” will reflect on how perceptions of risk and approaches to materials have changed over time.
Researchers: Emma Richardson and Sarah Wilkes (Institute of Making)
Funding: UCL Museums and Collections
Gel Cleaning Systems
This research examined the effects of gel-based cleaning systems on artwork surfaces, particularly concerning the accumulation of soiling and surface deposits. Handling, display, and storage can alter an object’s surface and chemistry, making cleaning methods crucial. Gel systems were explored for controlled liquid delivery during conservation treatments, focusing on controlling diffusion and avoiding residue deposition. The study investigated the interactions between gel networks and artwork surfaces using techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, sum frequency generation spectroscopy, and fluorescence lifetime measurements to understand cleaning processes better.
Researchers: Lora Angelova, Stefani Kavda, and Bronwyn Ormsby (Tate)
Funding: The Royal Society Newton Fund and Qatar Foundation
Assessing the impact of LED lighting on pigments and paper in collections
This project examines the effects of LED lighting on the stability of artists’ pigments, paints, and papers in heritage collections. Over 12 months, changes in chemical composition and color under blue chip LEDs and tungsten halogen lighting will be compared using ATR-FTIR and spectrophotometry. The goal is to assess LED suitability for heritage displays.
Researchers: Emma Richardson, Elizabeth Woolley, Dave Thickett (English Heritage)
Funding: English Heritage, RSC Tom West Analytical Fellowship
Cellulose Derivatives and their Environmental Response
Synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers comprise an increasing portion of cultural heritage and archival collections. The growth in polymer manufacturing and engineering that occurred throughout the twentieth century inevitably led to many artists and designers employing these new and relatively inexpensive materials in their works. However, the physical instability of some polymer formulations now pose particular problems for the heritage profession.
Researchers: Emma Richardson and Lucia Melita
Aelbert Cuyp Research Project
This research project investigated the materials and techniques used in the paintings of Aelbert Cuyp, including works attributed to his followers and contemporaries in Dordrecht. The focus is on understanding Cuyp’s technical practices, such as pigment use, ground types, and brushwork characteristics, through analysis of paintings in public and private collections. Methods include microscopy, microphotography, non-invasive X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The project seeks to clarify attribution issues and contribute to technical art history.
Researchers: Libby Sheldon (Director, UCL) and Gabriella Macaro (Chief Researcher, UCL, 2011-2013)
Funding: Private collector and Charisma grant archival study (2013)
Comparison of Painting Lining Methods for Historic House Environments
This project examines the preservation of canvas-lined paintings in historic houses, where limited environmental control leads to stress from RH fluctuations. It evaluates the mechanical performance of relining techniques, the benefits of back-boarding without glazing, and develops non-invasive condition monitoring methods using digital image correlation (DIC) and unilateral NMR. Key goals include identifying optimal relining practices, assessing physical risks to paintings in fluctuating environments, and developing a damage function to predict environmental impacts on conservation.
Researcher: Vladimir Vilde
Collaborators: English Heritage, LaVision UK Ltd
Funding: EPSRC, English Heritage
