Amy Hughes | National Gallery of Art (original) (raw)
Papers by Amy Hughes
Over the past two decades, a movement towards object-tailored conservation treatment has emerged,... more Over the past two decades, a movement towards object-tailored conservation treatment has emerged, reflecting a desire for greater control at both the physical and the chemical level. This evolution began with the work of Richard Wolbers, who promoted the use of modified aqueous solutions to chemically target treatment, and the use of gels for greater specificity in application (Wolbers 2000). These concepts were disseminated in Wolbers’ courses at the University of Delaware and in workshops and seminars throughout the world. The Modular Cleaning Program, developed by Chris Stavroudis, translated this concept of chemical targeting into an accessible tool, which employs engineered cleaning solutions through pHand conductivity-adjustment, as well as by the addition of surfactants and chelators. Traditionally, these methods have been used more frequently in the fields of paintings and objects conservation. This paper will delve into their application to paper conservation. The first hal...
Facture: Conservation, Science, Art History, 2021
Printmaking gives artists the chance to experiment with a variety of supports after completing th... more Printmaking gives artists the chance to experiment with a variety of supports after completing their image. In this essay Amy Hughes describes the importance of handmade papers used by Jasper Johns (b. 1930) during his early years as a printmaker at Universal Limited Art Editions. His prints reveal the crucial collaboration between the artist, printmaker, and papermaker. The National Gallery is the major repository of Johns's trial and working proofs, with more than 1,700 prints (1960–2001) held in its Jasper Johns Archive. These proofs offer a unique opportunity to study Johns's thought process during the conception and production of an edition. Johns created numerous editions using custom-made papers by Western and Japanese papermakers. Observations drawn from close examination of proofs in the Jasper Johns Archive are supplemented by archival research and interviews with master printers and papermakers who worked with Johns, including Bill Goldston, John Lund, Jeff Goodman, and Fred Siegenthaler. Watermark imaging techniques and fiber analysis are used to support technical details described during these interviews. The National Gallery of Art Paper Sample Collection was also consulted as a resource for further material and archival investigations, since several examples of papers used by Johns are housed in that collection.
Hand Papermaking Magazine, 2019
A review of paper conservation literature from the past decade reveals a fundamental shift in the... more A review of paper conservation literature from the past decade
reveals a fundamental shift in the conservator’s approach to
treatment, an approach that calls for less manipulation, greater
control, and targeted cleaning. This two-part paper reviews
the use of rigid polysaccharide gels and conductivity-adjusted
aqueous solutions as relatively new tools that afford conservators
greater control and the ability to tailor treatment.
The first part of this paper provides an overview of rigid
gel systems in local and overall cleaning of works on paper,
focusing on agarose and gellan gum, two naturally occurring
polysaccharides. Both form colorless, rigid gels that may be
cut to shape, qualities that make them appealing to paper
conservators for a variety of treatment applications: aqueous
and solvent-based poulticing to reduce adhesives, stain and
tideline reduction, and overall bathing. Dependent upon the
specific polymer, these gels may be prepared with deionized
water or aqueous solutions, which utilize chelators and other
buffers to adjust pH and conductivity. Following a discussion
of the advantages of gel treatment and rationale for selecting a
gel, the properties of agarose and gellan gum as well as factors
that impact their performance will be addressed. These factors—
casting thickness, concentration, and additives among
others—may be modified to optimize treatment. Several
examples are illustrated.
The second part of the paper aims to clarify both the theory
and chemistry of conductivity in the context of paper conservation
practice. Via combined chemical and physical effects
acting on the microscopic and molecular level (for example:
diffusion and osmotic effects), a salt in aqueous solution may
be exploited to mitigate or to encourage the movement of soluble
ions—not only through the fiber web, but also through
the walls of individual paper fibers and fibrils. This research
addresses the effects of one such electrolyte, aqueous ammonium
acetate (a volatile, neutral salt), on discolored paper substrates. The effects of conductivity-adjusted solutions are
distinctly advantageous for moisture-sensitive papers and can
improve the performance of local wet treatments when using
swabs, poultices, and rigid polysaccharide gels.
New techniques for cleaning acrylic emulsion paint surfaces continue to emerge in the practice of... more New techniques for cleaning acrylic emulsion paint surfaces
continue to emerge in the practice of contemporary
conservation. The discipline is currently in the process of
identifying problematic first-generation practices, pursuing
improved and alternative treatments, and framing a dialogue
to guide future innovations. This paper will present four
case studies that illustrate a new aqueous cleaning system for
acrylic paint films on paper supports. It will also address this
system’s potential to treat discolored paper and board.
Driving this evolution in practice is acrylic works’ sensitivity
to aqueous cleaning methods. Paint film swelling and
surfactant or pigment disruption are two primary risks conservators
regularly face when cleaning acrylic works of art on
paper. The aqueous cleaning system discussed in this paper
mitigates these risks by using pH and conductivity meters to
test acrylic paint surfaces and to create customized aqueous
cleaning solutions—a technique demonstrated at the 2011
Cleaning of Acrylic Painted Surfaces workshop.
Examples of this system will be presented in the treatment
of four works. The first case study uses Paula Rego’s In the
Garden (1986), an acrylic painting on paper with embedded
dust and dirt. This study will demonstrate the necessity of
adapting the cleaning system to diverse pigments and color
mixtures, due to their idiosyncratic responses to water. The
second case study, Maquette for Smoking Cigarette Relief (1983),
by Tom Wesselmann, will demonstrate the technique as
applied to the removal of active mold growth and associated
staining. The final two studies will present successful treatment
of stained and discolored paper supports through the
use of conductivity and pH adjustment.
Over the past two decades, a movement towards object-tailored conservation treatment has emerged,... more Over the past two decades, a movement towards object-tailored conservation treatment has emerged, reflecting a desire for greater control at both the physical and the chemical level. This evolution began with the work of Richard Wolbers, who promoted the use of modified aqueous solutions to chemically target treatment, and the use of gels for greater specificity in application (Wolbers 2000). These concepts were disseminated in Wolbers’ courses at the University of Delaware and in workshops and seminars throughout the world. The Modular Cleaning Program, developed by Chris Stavroudis, translated this concept of chemical targeting into an accessible tool, which employs engineered cleaning solutions through pHand conductivity-adjustment, as well as by the addition of surfactants and chelators. Traditionally, these methods have been used more frequently in the fields of paintings and objects conservation. This paper will delve into their application to paper conservation. The first hal...
Facture: Conservation, Science, Art History, 2021
Printmaking gives artists the chance to experiment with a variety of supports after completing th... more Printmaking gives artists the chance to experiment with a variety of supports after completing their image. In this essay Amy Hughes describes the importance of handmade papers used by Jasper Johns (b. 1930) during his early years as a printmaker at Universal Limited Art Editions. His prints reveal the crucial collaboration between the artist, printmaker, and papermaker. The National Gallery is the major repository of Johns's trial and working proofs, with more than 1,700 prints (1960–2001) held in its Jasper Johns Archive. These proofs offer a unique opportunity to study Johns's thought process during the conception and production of an edition. Johns created numerous editions using custom-made papers by Western and Japanese papermakers. Observations drawn from close examination of proofs in the Jasper Johns Archive are supplemented by archival research and interviews with master printers and papermakers who worked with Johns, including Bill Goldston, John Lund, Jeff Goodman, and Fred Siegenthaler. Watermark imaging techniques and fiber analysis are used to support technical details described during these interviews. The National Gallery of Art Paper Sample Collection was also consulted as a resource for further material and archival investigations, since several examples of papers used by Johns are housed in that collection.
Hand Papermaking Magazine, 2019
A review of paper conservation literature from the past decade reveals a fundamental shift in the... more A review of paper conservation literature from the past decade
reveals a fundamental shift in the conservator’s approach to
treatment, an approach that calls for less manipulation, greater
control, and targeted cleaning. This two-part paper reviews
the use of rigid polysaccharide gels and conductivity-adjusted
aqueous solutions as relatively new tools that afford conservators
greater control and the ability to tailor treatment.
The first part of this paper provides an overview of rigid
gel systems in local and overall cleaning of works on paper,
focusing on agarose and gellan gum, two naturally occurring
polysaccharides. Both form colorless, rigid gels that may be
cut to shape, qualities that make them appealing to paper
conservators for a variety of treatment applications: aqueous
and solvent-based poulticing to reduce adhesives, stain and
tideline reduction, and overall bathing. Dependent upon the
specific polymer, these gels may be prepared with deionized
water or aqueous solutions, which utilize chelators and other
buffers to adjust pH and conductivity. Following a discussion
of the advantages of gel treatment and rationale for selecting a
gel, the properties of agarose and gellan gum as well as factors
that impact their performance will be addressed. These factors—
casting thickness, concentration, and additives among
others—may be modified to optimize treatment. Several
examples are illustrated.
The second part of the paper aims to clarify both the theory
and chemistry of conductivity in the context of paper conservation
practice. Via combined chemical and physical effects
acting on the microscopic and molecular level (for example:
diffusion and osmotic effects), a salt in aqueous solution may
be exploited to mitigate or to encourage the movement of soluble
ions—not only through the fiber web, but also through
the walls of individual paper fibers and fibrils. This research
addresses the effects of one such electrolyte, aqueous ammonium
acetate (a volatile, neutral salt), on discolored paper substrates. The effects of conductivity-adjusted solutions are
distinctly advantageous for moisture-sensitive papers and can
improve the performance of local wet treatments when using
swabs, poultices, and rigid polysaccharide gels.
New techniques for cleaning acrylic emulsion paint surfaces continue to emerge in the practice of... more New techniques for cleaning acrylic emulsion paint surfaces
continue to emerge in the practice of contemporary
conservation. The discipline is currently in the process of
identifying problematic first-generation practices, pursuing
improved and alternative treatments, and framing a dialogue
to guide future innovations. This paper will present four
case studies that illustrate a new aqueous cleaning system for
acrylic paint films on paper supports. It will also address this
system’s potential to treat discolored paper and board.
Driving this evolution in practice is acrylic works’ sensitivity
to aqueous cleaning methods. Paint film swelling and
surfactant or pigment disruption are two primary risks conservators
regularly face when cleaning acrylic works of art on
paper. The aqueous cleaning system discussed in this paper
mitigates these risks by using pH and conductivity meters to
test acrylic paint surfaces and to create customized aqueous
cleaning solutions—a technique demonstrated at the 2011
Cleaning of Acrylic Painted Surfaces workshop.
Examples of this system will be presented in the treatment
of four works. The first case study uses Paula Rego’s In the
Garden (1986), an acrylic painting on paper with embedded
dust and dirt. This study will demonstrate the necessity of
adapting the cleaning system to diverse pigments and color
mixtures, due to their idiosyncratic responses to water. The
second case study, Maquette for Smoking Cigarette Relief (1983),
by Tom Wesselmann, will demonstrate the technique as
applied to the removal of active mold growth and associated
staining. The final two studies will present successful treatment
of stained and discolored paper supports through the
use of conductivity and pH adjustment.