pastel and synthetic polymer paint on paper

An artwork on paper using soft pastel and felt tip pen details and silver polymer paint background. This artwork displayed foxing and mould growth throughout the image stemming from improper framing methods and exposure to moisture. All original media was water-sensitive and inherently friable so treatments needed to be carefully nuanced and adjusted to suit the unique qualities of the artwork. To deactivate mould and reduce stains, we:

• dry cleaned surface to remove active mould spores

• deactivated any remaining mould with careful solvent cleaning

• reduced staining using custom tailored gel system to control moisture suffusion to avoid disturbing original media

• flattened artwork

• lightly retouched remaining stains