Comments on: Conservation Comes Outdoors for Henry Moore’s “Bronze Form”

By: Bill McKenna

Bill McKenna — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:58:08 +0000

Thanks for the great inside peek. I sometime get asked to look at bronze that has been left to the elements unprotected for years. By the time i get to it there is severe oxidation usually to the point of having a green patina to it. I have an exterior window frame project on an old bank I am looking at right now. Do you think that the dry ice would be able to remove the oxidation and bring me back to a bright bronze condition? Have you worked on anything that was left that long gone?

By: Katrina Posner

Katrina Posner — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:16:22 +0000

Hi Deborah, Good idea, though a conversation “outside the box” hasn’t been planned for this treatment. The work is still on-going, likely for another week.
Thank you for writing!

By: Deborah

Deborah — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:57:33 +0000

Fascinating article and project. Will visitors ever get to speak to the conservators like they did when Oudry’s “Rhinoceros” was on display in the Sketching Gallery while it was being conserved? I understand why they can’t watch as just keeping a clean environment, amongst the huge construction project of the 405, must be a challenge.

How long do you estimate this work will take?

By: Katrina Posner

Katrina Posner — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:16:38 +0000

Hi Jackie, Thank you for your interest! Dry ice blasting does have a wide range of applications, one of which is to safely remove mold from water-damaged books. However, we are using it at a higher strength (PSI) to actually blast off the coating from the surface of the metal. In order to preserve the paint on your car, I think you would be better off with a tried and true wash and wax from the carwash. . . .
As for the coating, the urethane did a good job for close to twenty years, but it has come to the end of its effectiveness. We are replacing it with a product called Incralac, which was developed for use on outdoor copper alloy (bronze or brass) objects. It bonds well to the surface of the metal, helping us ensure that the sculpture will be adequately protected. We will then add an additional layer of wax to the top of the Incralac. New wax will be applied annually as part of our maintenance program.

By: Jackie I.

Jackie I. — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:44:39 +0000

I could only imagine how clean our cars would be after a nice dry ice wash. Actually, how would that affect the paint on a car?

And, what will the new protective coating be? Was the acrylic-urethan in essence not an effective coating or was it the outdoor elements that compromised it?

Good luck and I hope nothing gets in the drying coat!