Juhana Blomstedt: Signa 1961 : Modernin maalauksen konservointi

Abstract

Opinnäytetyön kohteena oli Juhana Blomstedtin maalaus Signa vuodelta 1961. Juhana Blomstedtiä voidaan pitää yhtenä abstraktin taiteen merkittävimmistä edustajista Suomessa. Signa edustaa Blomstedtin varhaiskautta.

Teos on kankaalle maalattu öljyvärimaalaus, joka on pingotettu kiilapuille. Maalauksen vauriot liittyivät pääasiassa maalikerrosten irtoamiseen pohjustekerroksesta. Vaurioituminen johtui ennen kaikkea teoksen säilytysolosuhteista ja huolimattomasta käsittelystä. Irtoavan maalin lisäksi kuvapinnassa oli naarmuja ja kulumia, ja kiilakehys oli vääntynyt ja halkeillut. Maali on hyvin mattapintaista, mikä asetti konservoinnille lisähaasteita. Opinnäytetyössä perehdyttiin modernin ja nykytaiteen konservointiongelmiin sekä mattapintaisen maalin konservointiin ja erityisesti sen maalinkiinnitykseen.

Maalauksen materiaaleja ja maalaustekniikkaa tutkittiin ennen kaikkea taiteilijaa itseään haastattelemalla. Lisäksi maali- ja pohjustekerroksista otettiin poikkileikkausnäytteet, joista tehtiin pigmenttianalyysit. Teos konservoitiin ja restauroitiin: maali kiinnitettiin paikallisesti sampiliimalla, maalipinta puhdistettiin ja alkuperäinen kiilakehys korjattiin. Maalipinnan vauriot kitattiin ja restaurointimaalattiin. Myös alkuperäinen, taiteilijan valmistama rimakehys puhdistettiin ja irtonainen maali ja halkeamat puussa kiinnitettiin.

The subject of the thesis was the painting Signa from the year 1961 by Juhana Blomstedt. Juhana Blomstedt can be considered as one of the most significant abstract artists in Finland. Signa represents the early years of Blomstedt’s production. The artwork is an oil painting on canvas, attached on a stretcher. It was recently bequeathed to the Finnish National Gallery in a relatively bad condition. Damages were, above all, caused by poor storage conditions and careless handling. The damages were mainly related to the separation of the paint layers from the ground layer. In addition to loose and lost paint, there were scratches and abrasion on the paint surface. Also the stretcher was warped and cracked.

The conservation problems of modern and contemporary art were studied in the thesis. New painting materials used by artists are often problematic from the conservator's point of view, and therefore require special conservation and research methods. Also the conservation of matte paint was studied. In the treatment proposal and the treatment report the emphasis was in the problems of paint consolidation and in the selection of the most suitable adhesive. The painting was examined by analytical photography, and cross sections and pigment analyses of the paint and ground layers were made. However, interviewing the artist himself proved to be the most important research method to gain information of the materials and the painting methods of the artwork.

The very matte finish of the paint made the conservation of the painting especially challenging The conservation of the painting included local consolidation of the paint layers with sturgeon glue, and in one color area with Paraloid B-72; surface cleaning with saliva, and restoration of the original stretcher. The paint surface was restored by filling the gaps and retouching the damages on the paint layer. Also the original frame made by the artist was cleaned, and the damages of paint layer and wood were consolidated.

After conservation the overall appearance of the painting was improved and the painting was stabilized. In conservation of modern and contemporary art, it is essential to take the opinion and the intention of the artist into account. In treatment of art works painted with non-traditional materials or painting techniques, problems often occur due to unpredictable behavior of the materials, and it is not always possible to find a solution that is suitable for the whole painting.