NOWPhotography NYC

Last week’s #BKMconservation post focused on the treatment of flaking paint in Stuart Davis’s The Mellow Pad. Now we can look closer at the materials through technical analysis. Multispectral imaging is a great way to lay foundation that will inform the fine-tuned technical work to come—and it is proof that science can be beautiful!

The images above were created by capturing The Mellow Pad’s behavior in different wavelengths of light (energy). Different types of light are often a conservator’s first tool in understanding the materials and condition of an artwork. Multispectral imaging captures specific ranges of wavelengths, including some that are invisible to the naked eye, for specific purposes:

VIS: Visible reflected light. The colors you see every day are the first clues.

UVL: Ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence. Wild colors! Materials either absorb energy and darken or luminesce in a descriptive way, based on the colorants and binding media.

UVR: Ultraviolet reflected light. The distribution of coatings can be mapped.

IRR: Infrared reflected light. Carbon-based materials (such as graphite) stand out as black in this striking black and white technique.

VIL: Visible-induced infrared luminescence. Cadmium-containing pigments (and a few others) appear bright.

By comparing the images, we learn what type of light excites which colors. Some materials are clearly identified in this way, and remaining questions are better defined to help direct further analysis. The right equipment is essential for this process. In recent months, the BKM lab has acquired several new light sources, a modified digital camera, a range of lens filters, and specialized image processing software thanks to Bank of America’s generous support of this research project.

The Mellow Pad has hidden layers as well, which can’t be reached with lighting techniques. Dense, radio opaque pigments such as lead white show up brightly in this X-ray image below, informing us as to where additional information lies beneath the surface.

These images are just the beginning of the analytical puzzle. Stay tuned for the more in the investigation of The Mellow Pad, and in the meantime remember: science is a beautiful thing.

photographer: Davide Sorrenti

(from In Memory of Davide)

I think this photo is part of an actually pretty interesting branch of 90’s photography.  Models with kind of brutal styling (minimal makeup, pulled back hair), terrible lighting and technically flawed photography.