Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2022.6
Meeting the father of op art, Victor Vasarely: conservation, historical and art research, and conservation of the Barson collage
Majda Begić Jarić
; Croatian Conservation Institute, Section for Paper and Leather, Zagreb, Croatia
Marta Budicin Munišević
orcid.org/0000-0002-5844-0960
; Croatian Conservation Institute, Section for Documentation of Movable Heritage , Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The Barson collage in the possession of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb is the work of Victor Vasarely, the father of op art, and the only example of collage on wood panel by this artist in a cultural institution in Croatia. It was made in 1967 using the screen-printing technique on paper glued to a paper base and then to a wood panel. It is a large-format collage, measuring 2.5 x 2.5 m. It consists of four parts: two larger rectangular upper parts, and two smaller rectangular lower parts. They are reinforced at the back with a wooden cross-shaped subframe. The paper collage base consists of two parts: a lower, thicker grey-blue layer glued directly to the wood panel, and an upper two-part layer made using the screen-printing technique, cut out and glued to the above-mentioned bottom layer of paper. The four-part composition of this collage works in two ways. When taking in the whole piece, the gaze is directed towards the centre of the composition, highlighted with bright yellow and a square paper format, and each of the four parts also functions separately, repeating the orientation towards its centre.
The collage was found in poor condition, caused primarily by age and the delicacy of the technique. The front and back of the artwork were covered with dust, dirt and damage caused by insects, stains caused by moisture, and smaller greasy stains along the edges caused by improper handling. Due to the weakening of the adhesive, the layers of paper base had separated from the wood panel and dried out. Small parts of the paper base were missing along the edges. The entire top layer of paper was covered with a thin network of cracks and scratches, large and small, that disrupted the unobstructed observation of the artwork. The wood-panel base is well preserved, as is the colour of the screen print, which adheres well to the surface of the paper base.
Due to the specifics of the screen-printing technique, the optical character of the work, its large dimensions and the fact that no comparative example of restoration of a similar type of art was to be found in Croatia, conservation and restoration presented a great challenge. Extensive research was carried out during 2019 and 2020, followed by conservation and restoration. Documentation of the condition of the artwork before conservation was prepared in 2019, along with measurement of the pH value of the paper base, and the taking of samples for the analysis of fibres, dyes and adhesive. Cleaning, consolidation and retouching tests were also performed. This was followed by cleaning with the Akawipe wiper and careful removal of insect traces. The stains caused by handling were removed with medical gasoline. During the research, cooperation was established with the Centre Interdisciplinaire de Conservation et de Restauration du Patrimoine (CICRP) in Marseilles, where analyses of adhesive and paint samples taken from the collage were performed, and the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence, which donated paper samples of Vasarely's screen prints.
In 2020, the bottom layer of the collage was glued to the wood panel using Eukalin DK starch glue, and the upper layer was glued to the lower using 4% Tylose MH-300 P2 cellulose glue. The missing pieces of paper were reconstructed with Bib Tengujo 12 g/m2 Japanese paper and 4% Tylose MH-300 P2 cellulose adhesive. This was followed by minimal retouching with Winsor & Newton watercolours and Stabilo soft pastels. The wooden frame of the artwork was cleaned using the dry method and a Koh-i-noor eraser. The missing part was reconstructed with fir wood and then retouched with Maimeri acrylic paints. Conservation and restoration of the Barson collage is the result of international interdisciplinary cooperation by experts, and was funded by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
290097
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2022.
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