White Spots on Smoke Rings by Bruce Nauman: A Case Study On Contemporary Art Conservation Using Microanalytical Techniques

Ana Cardeira Mafalda; Rodrigo Bettencourt Da Câmara; Patrick Strzelec; Nick Schiavon; José Mirão; António Candeias; Maria Luísa Carvalho; Marta Manso

doi:10.1017/S1431927614013002

White Spots on Smoke Rings by Bruce Nauman: A Case Study On Contemporary Art Conservation Using Microanalytical Techniques

Ana Cardeira Mafalda, Rodrigo Bettencourt Da Câmara, Patrick Strzelec, Nick Schiavon, José Mirão, António Candeias, Maria Luísa Carvalho, Marta Manso

Mason Gross School of the Arts, Art & Design

Rutgers, The State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The artwork "Smoke Rings: Two Concentric Tunnels, Non-Communicating" by Bruce Nauman represents a case study of corrosion of a black patina-coated Al-alloy contemporary artwork. The main concern over this artwork was the widespread presence of white spots on its surface. Alloy substrate, patina, and white spots were characterized by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Alloy substrate was identified as an aluminum alloy 6,000 series Al-Si-Mg. Patina's identified composition confirmed the documentation provided by the atelier. Concerning the white spots, zircon particles were found on patina surface as external elements.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	15-19
Number of pages	5
Journal	Microscopy and Microanalysis
Volume	21
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927614013002
State	Published - Jun 20 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Instrumentation

Keywords

Bruce Nauman
EDXRF
SEM-EDS
contemporary artwork
micro-XRD

Access to Document

10.1017/S1431927614013002

Cite this

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title = "White Spots on Smoke Rings by Bruce Nauman: A Case Study On Contemporary Art Conservation Using Microanalytical Techniques",

abstract = "The artwork {"}Smoke Rings: Two Concentric Tunnels, Non-Communicating{"} by Bruce Nauman represents a case study of corrosion of a black patina-coated Al-alloy contemporary artwork. The main concern over this artwork was the widespread presence of white spots on its surface. Alloy substrate, patina, and white spots were characterized by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Alloy substrate was identified as an aluminum alloy 6,000 series Al-Si-Mg. Patina's identified composition confirmed the documentation provided by the atelier. Concerning the white spots, zircon particles were found on patina surface as external elements.",

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AU - Strzelec, Patrick

AU - Schiavon, Nick

AU - Mirão, José

AU - Candeias, António

AU - Carvalho, Maria Luísa

AU - Manso, Marta

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Microscopy Society of America 2014.

PY - 2015/6/20

Y1 - 2015/6/20

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AB - The artwork "Smoke Rings: Two Concentric Tunnels, Non-Communicating" by Bruce Nauman represents a case study of corrosion of a black patina-coated Al-alloy contemporary artwork. The main concern over this artwork was the widespread presence of white spots on its surface. Alloy substrate, patina, and white spots were characterized by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Alloy substrate was identified as an aluminum alloy 6,000 series Al-Si-Mg. Patina's identified composition confirmed the documentation provided by the atelier. Concerning the white spots, zircon particles were found on patina surface as external elements.

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White Spots on Smoke Rings by Bruce Nauman: A Case Study On Contemporary Art Conservation Using Microanalytical Techniques

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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