Art and Industry – Novel Approaches to the Evaluation and Development to Cleaning Systems for Artists’ Acrylic Latex Paints

By Melinda Keefe , Christopher Tucker, Anastasia Mardilovlch Behr, Greg Meyers, Carl Reinhardt, Tom Boomgaard, Cory Peitsch, Bronwyn Ormsby , Alexia Soldano, Alan Phenix , Thomas Learner

Since their introduction in the mid-1950s, waterborne acrylic latex paints-commonly referred to as acrylic emul­sion paints-have been widely adopted by artists.¹ As a class of material, they exhibit great stability, being highly resistant to deterioration, discoloration, embrittlement, and/or mechanical failure. However, new materials pres­ ent new challenges for those involved in the conserva­ ion and restoration of works of art.

As renowned British painter David Hockney-one of the pioneers in the artistic use of acrylics-astutely observed: Oil paint has been used by artists for six hundred years, so modern conservators have six centuries of experience to draw on and develop. Acrylics, on the other hand, are little more than half a century old. It is extremely important and very welcome that … research into the future conservation of these relatively new materials is being done now to ensure these artworks will be kept in good condition for centuries to come. ²

One of the most commonly executed conservation treatments on any work of art is surface cleaning-that is, the removal of dust, dirt, and other accretions and/ or deposits that have built up over time. Eventually, the dirt build-up may compromise the painting’s appearance to such a degree that a cleaning treatment is warranted. The surface cleaning of acrylic emulsion paintings is, however, not a straightforward procedure, for a number of reasons: Acrylic paintings are rarely varnished (unlike tradi­tional oil paintings); as a result, airborne dust and dirt deposit directly onto the paint surface.

Acrylic latex paints are generally soft at room temperature, and dirt can become firmly ingrained-in the worst case, permanently embedded in the paint surface. Hence, the margin between successful dirt removal and dam­age to the paint film can be slim. Dirt deposition can be exacerbated by greasy deposits on the surface, such as skin oils resulting from improp­er handling; indeed, the presence of tenacious dark finger marks is not uncommon with acrylic paintings.