Jodi wrote last week about the deinstallation and conservation treatment of Henry Moore's bronze sculpture Upright Motive. I visited the objects conservation lab at the Museum today to check in on the sculpture.
Robert, our Conservation Intern, led me into the spray booth, a small room where objects are treated. Even though Moore's sculpture is huge, the first thing I saw was a glittering collection of silver from our Decorative Arts collection. Robert said he had been polishing the silver for weeks, but it's finally ready to go on display and probably won't need treatment again for another 10 years!
It was a little sad to see Moore's sculpture away from its natural habitat in the Kansas City Sculpture Park, but Robert explained to me all the work he would be putting into it over the next several weeks. Many of the sculptures outside are protected by a coating called Incralac and another coating of wax. The Incralac can stand up to the environment for years, but eventually it wears away and leaves the art open to corrosion.
Using organic solvents, Robert will remove the Incralac and thoroughly clean the sculpture before applying a new protective coating. Natural oxidation has transformed the copper tone of the sculpture into a beautiful dark green, but small patches of the sculpture have turned an unpleasant teal color (like a really old penny). Robert's work will return these areas to their former color.
There's one big challenge, though. The sculpture weighs 1200 lbs., and Robert has to figure out a way to roll it over safely so he can clean every side! I can only lift about 50 lbs, or I'd offer to help.