A number of cases have come across my desk in the past few years involving both the uncovering of murals sequestered in the past and the concealment of public murals that have fallen out of favor in the 21st C. I am talking about the construction of purpose-made spaces for the storage/concealment of portable paintings as well as the concealment of fixed murals in situ by the construction of physical barriers, both decorative and architectural.
Having consulted with a number of friends and colleagues individually it appears to me that the concealment of public murals is something that few have participated in. As a result, there do not appear to be any best practices established for doing so. I am reaching out hoping to hear back from colleagues who have participated in the in situ concealment of murals who might be willing to share their experiences. But I am also hoping to begin a conversation about best practices, perhaps to develop some standards, some specifications for design and implementation that might serve as a guidelines for owners, and moreover their architects and engineers, tasked with the concealment of the murals that seem to be falling out of favor with greater frequency in the 21st C. For instance, is it best to build out a plenum in front of the painting, or is it better to have inert protective material in direct contact with the painted surface? Perhaps even under modest pressure? No space? Dead air space? Or is ventilation a requirement in an enclosed space? Is it necessary to make provisions for monitoring conditions within the structure? For direct observation of the painted surface? I would like to develop a set of specifications and concerns about implementation Any experience or thoughts on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Steven Prins Conservation & Restoration of Paintings Santa Fe, NM ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/
