Art Casting in Portuguese 19th Century Industrial Foundries: A Multi-Analytical Study of an Emblematic Copper-Based Alloy Monument

The outdoor sculpture of the first Portuguese king, D. Afonso Henriques (c. 1109–1185 AD), placed in Guimarães (North Portugal), is one of the most emblematic national sculptures. Created in 1887 by António Soares dos Reis, it possesses a remarkable symbolic value in the presumed birthplace of the king. In addition to the artistic and heritage importance of the monument, it is one of the few sculptures cast by a Portuguese industrial foundry in the 19th century. This study obtained data on the sculpture’s elemental composition and corrosion products, gathering important historical and technical information. For this purpose, a multi-analytical approach consisting of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) was carried out to characterise the bulk metal and corrosion layers. The data revealed a ternary alloy of Cu, Sn and Zn, with Pb, Fe, As, Bi and Mn as minor elements. The alloy matches that of other sculptures cast in that period. In terms of corrosion, it is characterised by the presence of oxides. These results represent the first step for applying an appropriate conservation strategy for bronze sculptures with similar characteristics.

Art Casting in Portuguese 19th-Century Industrial Foundries: A Multi-Analytical Study of an Emblematic Copper-Based Alloy Monument

The outdoor sculpture of the first Portuguese king, D. Afonso Henriques (~1109 – 1185 AD), placed in Guimarães (North Portugal) is one of the most emblematic national sculptures. Created in 1887 by António Soares dos Reis, it possesses a remarkable symbolic value in the presumed birthplace of the king. In addition to the artistic and heritage importance of the monument, it is one of the few sculptures cast by a Portuguese industrial foundry in the 19th-century. This study obtained data on the sculpture's elemental composition and corrosion products, gathering important historical and technical information. For this purpose, a multi-analytical approach consisting of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) was carried out to characterise the bulk metal and corrosion layers. The data revealed a ternary alloy of Cu, Sn, Zn with Pb, Fe, As, Bi and Mn as minor elements. The alloy matches that of other sculptures cast in that period. In terms of corrosion, it is characterised by the presence of oxides. These results represent the first step for applying an appropriate conservation strategy for bronze sculptures with similar characteristics.

A Basic Research for Preservation of Works Exhibited in the Outdoor Sculpture Park - A Scientific Analys is of Painted Work ‘Conversion’ Exhibited in the Cheonmasan Sculpture Park -

Outdoor sculptures of modern art works are being damaged and deteriorated as they are exposed to the outdoor environment due to the nature of exhibition in the outdoor environment, but secure of basic data through the measures for conservation and advanced researches still remain in the early stage. The surface of “Conversion” which is exhibited in the Busan Cheonmasan Sculpture Park has been exfoliated and deteriorated due to outdoor exhibition for a long time, so systematic conservation and management of works are considered necessary. Prior to the conservation and management, this study conducted observation of cross section, analysis of inorganic components, FT-IR, Raman and Py-GC/Mass analysis to examine the nature and type of paints used for the work through a scientific analysis. As a result of analysis, paints used for the “Conversion” include paint mixed with silvery aluminium powder and white pigment, reddish paint mixed with toluidine red, bluish paint that mixed prussian blue and titanium white and mixture of phthalocyanine blue and titanium white. The result is expected to be used as basic data for selecting materials necessary for conservative treatment of and establishing a plan for conservative treatment of the “Conversion”.

CONSERVATION OF OUTDOOR SCULPTURE

There are sculptures and monuments in the public areas, the gardens of public and private buildings and private residences in the cities that we live in. These works of art face severe pressure due to rays of the sun, heat, humidity, gases that can easily transform into acids after interacting with water (such as CO2, SO2, NOx), solid particles carried over by birds and wind and human activities. Thus, they can be damaged due to these different pressure sources. Preventive conservation is a good solution for conservation the works of art. However, the deteriorations that occur in outdoor sculptures due to environmental impacts may be so intense that they preventive conservation applications may not be sufficient. In such cases, it is necessary to apply active conservation methods. Therefore, the conservation of outdoor works of art may be possible only by applying active and preventive conservation in coordination as part of the long-range maintenance plan. Information will be provided in our study on long-range maintenance planning that should be carried out for conserving outdoor sculptures, stages of preventive conservation, fundamental preventive conservation suggestions and primary active conservation methods. In addition, discussions will also be carried out regarding who should apply the preventive and active conservation methods in order to ensure that the works carried out for the conservation of the works of art are successful. Keywords: Preventive conservation, active conservation, long-range maintenance plan, condition survey

Generation and Interpretation of Sculptural Ideas in Large Scale Stone Sculptures Placed in Outdoor Public Spaces: An Analysis of the Stone Sculptures of Gerald Motondi Oroo.

This paper presupposes that there is no artwork, in this case, large-scale outdoor sculptural work, that is undertaken without a defined ‘intent’; the extent and description of which depends on the individual artist and the visual impact of the work. In examining artwork, such intent is often relegated to the sidelines and yet it should constitute the first line of information as to why the work was created in the first place and can form a good basis for the eventual interrogation and interpretation of the work itself by the audience. This paper seeks to delve into the intent of the artist in order to determine the genesis of his motivation and the source of his inspiration and subsequently, also to determine the extent to which the work itself is effective in propagating this intent. Although there is a reference to the expression and expressiveness of artwork as an avenue of understanding how artwork is generally viewed and visually examined, the core purpose of the study gravitates around the intent of this particular artist, his motivation and inspiration. However, in this regard, questions still abound on whether the artist’s individual intent is ‘all encompassing’ or whether there are, indeed, other factors that spur multiple interpretations from the audience that point to new meanings and, therefore, make the work more interactive and engaging. The work featured in this paper makes these arguments even more significant because firstly, they are executed by the same individual and secondly, the pieces were conceived and executed on-site in different countries raising the prospect of intense contextual and cultural implications. The intriguing question that lingers is whether the artist’s personal creative intent is relevant or he is entangled by communal thematic expectations to which he must conform since the work is in the people’s space. This immediately raises questions about the role of ‘outsider’ artist in some instances, in the generation of subject matter and the role of outdoor sculpture placed in public spaces which are expected, in essence, to be in contextual resonance with the local community. The sculptures are large stone sculptures placed in outdoor spaces and done in various media such as marble, granite and soapstone. The work is located in different sites in various countries.

People, Place, Public: The Public Art of Nic Moon

In the realm of public art, New Zealand artist Nic Moon’s practice extends from permanent outdoor sculpture to ephemeral, site-responsive installations and staged public events. Such a range spans the trajectory of contemporary public art, a genre which theorists struggle to define categorically: historical precedents for public art offer no template for the present or for the future. Working in conjunction with mana whenua iwi, local government agencies, art institutions, museums, architects and the community¸ Moon creates large-scale object art as well as temporary and relocatable works, circumstantial installations, public artworks as utilities, and ephemeral art with a short life span. Her public art encompasses a broad spectrum of forms while speaking constantly of human ecology - the interdisciplinary study of relationships between people, our social systems and our environments. It is these relationships that underpin the work of Moon who, in common with new genre public artists internationally, is prepared to work outside the historical framework of public art to engage her audience in socially conscious, political art.