Skip to content
Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter November 1, 2016

Ronald by Franz West. Mounting of a Three-Dimensional Papier-mâché Object

  • Andreas Hartl

    Andreas Hartl is a paper conservator at the graphic collection at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna since 2014. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute for Conservation and Restoration in 2011.

    EMAIL logo
    , Gerda Kaltenbruner

    Gerda Kaltenbruner has been professor of Modern and Contemporary Arts Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna since 2005. From 1988 to 2004 she was head of conservation at the Kunstmuseum Bonn. Prior to that she served as conservator for different collections in the Rhineland, specialising in both contemporary art conservation and early medieval polychrome sculpture. She received her M.A. in Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and further trained at the Courtauld Institute London, the IRPA, Brussels and the SIK, Zurich. Her research interests are in the field of conservation strategies for ephemeral art forms and multimedia installations and focus on ethical issues in the preservation of contemporary art.

    and Karin Steiner

    Karin Steiner received her M.A. in Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2007. She worked as a paper conservator at different museums and collections in Vienna and Lower Austria and in 2016, she joined the Conservation Team of the Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien. She has also been lecturing at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration in the field of Conservation of Modern and Contemporary Art since 2009.

Abstract

This paper describes a new mounting system for a structurally damaged paper maché object by the artist Franz West (1947–2012). Due to a massive but now inactive pest infestation, the papier-mâché core of the artwork was substantially damaged by numerous bore holes and tunnels. Moreover, mechanical impact had fractured the artwork, which further decreased its stability. To successfully stabilize the structure, methods of consolidation and strategies for mounting had to be combined. Conservation focused on consolidation and loss compensation of the insect damaged surface and subsurface of the object. The second and equally important part of the conservation concept dealt with mounting and at the same time securing the fractured area. This was accomplished by constructing a grid-shaped support structure that perfectly fit between the uneven backside surface of the object and the plane perspex back-board of the existing frame. The support structure holds the vulnerable area along the fracture in place while at the same time allowing for mounting of the object within the frame.

Zusammenfassung

Ronald von Franz West. Montage eines dreidimensionalen Objekts aus Papier Maché

Das gitarrenförmige Werk aus Papier Maché mit dem Titel Ronald ist Bestandteil der Werkgruppe Unsere Eisenbahner und ihre Gewerkschaft von Franz West (1947–2012), die 1996 vom Essl Museum angekauft wurde. Durch einen – mittlerweile inaktiven – Schädlingsbefall waren zahlreiche Gänge und Hohlstellen im Papier Maché-Kern entstanden. Darüber hinaus war der Gitarrenkorpus durch mechanische Einwirkung gebrochen, so dass das Objekt extrem fragil und brüchig war. Um es strukturell zu stabilisieren, mussten Konsolidierungsmethoden mit einer neuen Montage-Strategie kombiniert werden. Letztere konzentrierten sich auf ein Montage-System, das eine Präsentation des Objekts im originalen Rahmen erlaubt und zugleich den Bereich des Bruchs stabilisiert. Durch eine der Oberfläche der Rückseite genau angepasste rasterförmige Konstruktion aus Archiv-Wellkartonstreifen wird das Objekt nun unterstützt, der Bereich um den Bruch wird gesichert, und das Objekt wird seiner Position im originalen Rahmen fixiert.

Résumé

Ronald par Franz West. Montage d’un objet en papier mâché en trois dimensions

En raison d’une infestation massive et de dommages structuraux d’origine inconnue, le noyau en papier mâché de l’œuvre a été presque complètement évidé et la stabilité de l’objet considérablement diminuée. Pour stabiliser la structure de l’objet, deux méthodes ont dû être combinées. Comme il n’a pas été possible de stabiliser l’objet en entier de la surface vers le centre, il a été décidé que seule la surface et les zones sous la surface devraient être traitées. Une partie importante du processus de stabilisation a été de renforcer une dangereuse fissure sur l’objet ainsi que de sécuriser le montage de l’objet dans le cadre afin d’améliorer la situation pour le transport, le stockage et l’exposition. Par conséquent, une armature grillagée a été créée pour intégrer parfaitement la surface verso irrégulière de la face arrière de la guitare. La zone vulnérable le long de la fissure a pu être stabilisée et l’objet a pu être monté dans la boite d’exposition en une seule intervention.

About the authors

Andreas Hartl

Andreas Hartl is a paper conservator at the graphic collection at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna since 2014. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute for Conservation and Restoration in 2011.

Gerda Kaltenbruner

Gerda Kaltenbruner has been professor of Modern and Contemporary Arts Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna since 2005. From 1988 to 2004 she was head of conservation at the Kunstmuseum Bonn. Prior to that she served as conservator for different collections in the Rhineland, specialising in both contemporary art conservation and early medieval polychrome sculpture. She received her M.A. in Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and further trained at the Courtauld Institute London, the IRPA, Brussels and the SIK, Zurich. Her research interests are in the field of conservation strategies for ephemeral art forms and multimedia installations and focus on ethical issues in the preservation of contemporary art.

Karin Steiner

Karin Steiner received her M.A. in Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2007. She worked as a paper conservator at different museums and collections in Vienna and Lower Austria and in 2016, she joined the Conservation Team of the Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien. She has also been lecturing at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration in the field of Conservation of Modern and Contemporary Art since 2009.

Materials

Fischer brass expansion fixing with metric thread

http://www.fischer.de/en/Product-Range/General-fixings/Brass-fixing-MS

Corrugated board, 2.7 mm, Product Number 0211103

Klug Conservation

Fabric tape, 4 cm with, natural white

Klug Conservation

Contour gauge, WÜRTH

https://eshop.wuerth.at/Profillehre-PRFLLEHRE-L400MM/071464 %20400.sku/de/DE/EUR/

BEVA® 371 film (25 my)

Deffner & Johann

Received: 2016-8-19
Revised: 2016-9-27
Accepted: 2016-9-30
Published Online: 2016-11-1
Published in Print: 2016-12-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

Downloaded on 28.3.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/res-2016-0022/html
Scroll to top button