Ever wonder how to clean the surface of a sculptural artwork without using toxic chemicals?  Blasting media is a type of clean technology that can be used to prepare or clean almost any surface. It’s similar to sandblasting, but the range of products used are some of the most diverse you can imagine. There are small glass beads, walnut shells, pulverized volcanic ash, soda, dry ice, garnet, corn cobs, sponge, wheat starch, crushed ceramic, plastic and stainless steel, to name a few. Blasting media isn’t new technology, but it continues to evolve as new uses are discovered.

There are many variables to consider when selecting blasting media for a particular surface. Location can play a big part in selecting a suitable medium. For example, if you are working near protected waterways, you will want to consider the biodegradability of a product. Blasting can be too abrasive in most situations. Test first, work lightly and have a good understanding of the material you’re working on.

And here’s another tip. If you live in Seattle (or work outdoors restoring public artworks), you know a good raincoat is critical for keeping dry. We’ve all experienced a time when we forgot our umbrella or anticipated that a light jacket would get us through the day, only to get caught in a downpour that left us saturated from head to toe. Why not wear an earth-friendly raincoat? You can buy biodegradable raingear at local work-wear stores. They are breathable and durable.

If you’re interested in preserving your photographs, you are probably already aware that the sun is the biggest enemy of photographic images. Keep in mind that fluorescent light bulbs will also accelerate fading. But because regular window glass is 97% ultraviolet reflective, you’ll achieve a great deal of protection simply by framing them.

And along those lines, have you ever wondered how a particular restoration treatment was executed? Contact us with questions regarding maintenance and conservation of neighborhood art projects or local historic monuments that may have been overlooked for a time or appear to need some attention. We are available to answer questions, evaluate the condition of a public artwork, and provide treatment recommendations.

Contact Tiffany Hedrick, conservation technician, (206) 615-1879.

Most Seattleites and tourists to the city have journeyed at least once to see the panorama of the city replete with the Space Needle, as framed by the circular sculpture at Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park. Affectionately referred to as the “donut” by locals, Black Sun (1969) by Isamu Noguchi is both resilient and vulnerable. Its beautiful Brazilian black granite composition has acquired some hairline surface fractures after years of weathering the freeze/thaw cycles that dominate the region’s winters.

Fortunately, we have just completed conservation of the artwork, filling the fractures to eliminate the entry of water and any subsequent expansion.

Read more about Black Sun here.

Our conservation staff has just restored the neon lighting on the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Neon for the Bagley Wright Theater (1983) by Stephen Antonakos. The lighting was damaged by a storm last year that left several sections of the neon dark. Over time the weather had taken a toll on the transformers and electrical system. Staff and local vendors replaced the wiring, transformers and neon tubing just in time for the fall theater lineup.

The neon artwork’s red neon arabesques, dashed lines and right angles float across the top of the Bagley Wright Theatre. The medium plays with the stylized patterns formed from neon tubing used on the old-fashioned marquees of Broadway theaters, bringing to mind the rich tradition of the American stage.