Our City explores the role of science in conserving modern art

21 October 2005

Imagine if the paint on your priceless Picasso started falling off the canvas. It’s a potential problem because the Spanish master -- along with others like Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol -- all at times used paints and other materials that were not specifically designed for art.

A free public lecture next week at Our City O-Tautahi will uncover these and other headaches left along with their now multi-million dollar artworks when Tom Learner, the Tate Gallery’s senior conservation scientist, talks about the work his small science team does to make sure modern works will survive for centuries to come.

The London gallery houses one of the world's most important collections of modern and contemporary painting. Many were created with synthetic paints which can behave in very different ways to the better-known qualities of traditional oils.

Mr Learner will talk about his team’s research this area, in particular how it is working to improve the methods for analysing paints found on 20th century art and assessing the effects on them of conservation treatments.

• This free lecture is on Thursday, 27 October, from 5.30-6.30pm at Our City O-Tautahi, the City Council facility on the banks of the Avon (corner of Worcester Boulevard and Oxford Terrace). Our City's general opening hours are 10am-4pm, Monday to Saturday

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