Modern Paints Uncovered: Proceedings from the Modern Paints Uncovered Symposium, May 16–19, 2006, Tate Modern, London

Edited by Thomas J. S. Learner, Patricia Smithen, Jay W. Krueger, and Michael R. Schilling

Over the past seventy years, a staggering array of new pigments and binders has been developed and used in the production of paint, and twentieth-century artists readily applied these materials to their canvases. Paints intended for houses, boats, cars, and other industrial applications frequently turn up in modern art collections, posing new challenges for paintings conservators.

This volume presents the papers and posters from "Modern Paints Uncovered," a symposium organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, Tate, and the National Gallery of Art and held at Tate Modern, London, in May 2006. Professionals from around the world shared the results of research on paints that have been available to artists since 1930—the date that synthetic materials began to significantly impact the paint industry.

Modern Paints Uncovered showcases the varied strands of cutting-edge research into the conservation of contemporary painted surfaces. These include paint properties and surface characteristics, analysis and identification, aging behavior, and safe and effective conservation techniques.

Thomas J. S. Learner is senior scientist for contemporary art research at the Getty Conservation Institute and former senior conservation scientist at Tate; Patricia Smithen is a conservator of modern and contemporary paintings at Tate; Jay W. Krueger is senior conservator of modern paintings at the National Gallery of Art; and Michael R. Schilling is a senior scientist and head of analytical technologies at the Getty Conservation Institute.