Elle Friedberg
OUTDOOR SCULPTURE
The following highlight a few of outdoor sculptures treatments conducted in the summer of 2021 with Adam Jenkins.
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WRECKED
Jordan Griska, stainless steel, 2016, private collection.
Wrecked is based on a computer generated model of a crashed luxury sedan and is composed of 12,000 individual pieces of mirror-finish stainless steel on a stainless steel armature. During regular maintenance conducted by the collections care staff, about 40 stainless steel pieces had detached from the sculpture due to its failing adhesive. Our goal was to identify a more appropriate adhesive for this sculpture and re adhere the dissociated pieces.
RAKING AIR
Ursula von Rydingsvard, bronze, 2019, private collection.
As a team of five, we spent two and a half days attending to the surface of this colossal sculpture. Preventive treatment is recommended yearly to protect the metal surface from corrosion and build up of grime or biological growth. This involves washing the sculpture to remove grime and cold waxing to protect the surface. Planning our route around the sculpture as a team maximized our efforts at each step in the process.
SPIRIT OF YOUTH
Anna Coleman Ladd, bronze, late 19th to early 20th c. Collection of Glen Foerd.
A heavy layer of dust and grime had accumulated on these sculptures by 19th-century American artist Anna Coleman Ladd. The two nude figures were part of a group of three collectively called Spirit of Youth and once displayed outdoors by the Lily Pool at the Glen Foerd historic mansion in Philadelphia. After moving the sculptures out of the boathouse to our temporary workspace outdoors, we started by wet cleaning the surface with Orvus WA paste diluted in water and soft sponges. When the sculpture was dry, we carried out a hot wax treatment with clear paste wax and a torch.
UNTITLED (1064)
Ellsworth Kelly, painted aluminum, 2013, private collection.
The homogeneous and glossy white surface invites any bit of grime to be quite visually prominent. This sculpture was flagged for treatment because of the accumulation of green/brown biological growth we observed on the surface. The Xero extendable brush was used. This extendable 40 foot pole, marketed for cleaning windows of tall buildings, has an internal hose that brings water up to a soft brush tip.