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CollectingSculpturesand Their

MaintenanceText: Dr. Robert B. Faltermeier

For many years now, private and corporate

investors have realised that investing in

art can be very protable and enjoyable.

Collecting contemporary art is a great

way to add a new chapter to an existing

investment portolio. Buying modern

art can also immediately enhance your

living and working environment, having

an artwork on display, at home or in the

oce can demonstrate taste, style and

power. Depending on the understanding

o the artwork and the artist, the piece can

express a companys ethics and mission.

A background check o the artist and his

oeuvre is thereore o dierent importance

or home and oce.

Well known artists such as Rodin, Moor

and Giacometti, are like blue chip stocks.One o the most important Gi acometti

works LHomme Qui Marche recently

etched 65 million pounds in an auction in

London. This blue-chip-art is limited and

appreciates better in a poorer market, than

lesser-known artists. However, the price

tags are vastly higher. To collect masters,

you do need specialised knowledge o the

art market and the artist. These exceptional

artists have already proven their investment

quality and are an encouragement to go

out and nd the next great masters. It isimportant to diversiy the collection and it

is always a good idea to include emerging

regional artists, these will add bulk to your

collection and there is always the potential

o an artist to be discovered and really to

take o. Imagine or a moment you were

one o the ew who started buying an early

Picasso.

Collecting contemporary art is a great

way to start collecting or to add new lie

into an established collection. To make

an inormed choice o artist or material to

buy, visit galleries, discuss the pieces with

the artist whenever possible. Research the

artist by reading articles in magazines,

books and the Internet. Look at the artists

longevity; an artist might have only one

big show and then disappear rom view

orever. Thereore his exhibition record

becomes very important. See i the shows

are only local or regional, or i the artist

has been exposed to an international

clientele. This will quickly reveal i an

artist has been hyped by museums or

galleries and this might be an indicator or

quality an acceptance o pieces.

When buying modern sculptures, it is

important to see i the new artist has

understood the material he is working in.

Be it stone, bronze or modern materials.

Stone is one o the most resilient materials;

the reoccurring maintenance costs such,

as cleaning and conservation are low.

When buying a bronze or indoor or

outdoor display, the patina has to be in

pristine conditions and the sculpture needs

regular attention, since bronze corrodes

easily in an urban environment. Modernmaterials such as plastics are generally a

dicult genre, since many modern resins

can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to

high light and temperature levels, as they

are typical in tropical region. It is always

good when investing in contemporary art

to have the assistance o an independent

experienced conservator, amiliar with the

material and the subject.

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Sculptures should no be placed under

trees, bird and other animal droppings are

very aggressive. Positioning a sculpture

in well aerated area allows the surace

to dry aster, minimising deterioration.

It is not advisable to position a sculpture

near a high trac road, the pollution and

the vibration increases deterioration andcracking. Outdoor sculptures should be

washed once a month rom top to bottom.

I the surace is clean, moisture can dry up

very quickly, however i there is a layer o

dirt it will stay moist longer and initiate

deterioration. To wash a sculpture it is best

to use ltered tap water. The carbon lter

will lter out most o the chlorine and

fuorine and metal particles i present. A

clean fannel or sponge is needed. Should

the sponge or fannel all to the ground or

be used on very dirty, gritty areas, it needs

to be replaced or very very thoroughly

washed. Regular cleaning solutions should

not be used.

Every 6 months the sculpture should be

washed thoroughly inspected and waxed

with a neutral microcrystalline wax that

is suitable or the climate what works

in a European climate is not necessarily

applicable in a tropical climate.

For a good management o a sculpture, it

is recommended that every 6 to 12 monthsa proessionally trained conservator should

inspect the surace or faws and damage, and

clean the sculpture and reapply a sacricial

protective coating. The condition check

ensures that the estimated 5-10% increase in

value per year is not jeopardised. //

i a good dehumidiying system is used,

can the relative humidity be reduced to

deactivate corrosion or an other option

is the metal sculpture is coated with a

synthetic material to prevent humidity

attacking its surace. However; a low

humidity level in turn will aect wooden

sculptures, textiles and other organic

materials and cause them to shrink

and crack. Display cases are thereore

recommended or mixed collections o

high value.

When it comes to cleaning sculptures,

make sure that no commercial cleaner is

used. They can contain ammonia and other

additives, which stain and rapidly deteriorate

the surace. When dusting an indoor

sculpture, it is best to use a very sot, clean

and dry brush to dust the surace and make

sure the metal sleeve around the bristles does

not scratch the surace.

Sculptures made rom polyester or epoxy are

best shown in an indoor environment. Coated

glass-bre sculptures deteriorate rapidly in

a tropic environment. The high humidity

temperature and light levels have devastating

eects on its structural integrity.

Do not place sculptures directly on soil

i not absolutely necessary since the

moist ground accelerates deterioration.Place sculpture on a plane stone surace

preerably marble or granite above the

grass line. There should be no grass line

around the sculptures since trimming with

scissors, trimmers or cutters will scratch

the surace. Be aware o animals such as

cats and dogs that might use the sculpture

as a marker, animal secretions can cause

corrosion o the surace.

Some legal aspects, a collector o modern and

contemporary art, has to understand the copyright laws

o the respective country. When buying a piece o art, the

transer o all copyrights should be contained with in a

sails contract. The buyer has to ensure that the transer

is legally binding. This might be necessary in case o

publication, conservation or uture sail o the artwork

in question, and might determine the nal value. The

contract should also indicate the authenticity, history and

provenance as detailed as possible.

The maintenance o Outdoor Sculptures is necessary

to keep its intrinsic and monetary value. The least

maintenance is needed or stone sculptures. Regular

cleaning and condition checking will keep them in

good shape.

Even as a bronze sculpture leaves the oundry, its

surace is under attack. Corrosion is due to the

interaction between a metal and its environment. The

rate, at which a bronze sculpture corrodes, depends

on its environment. In a tropical urban climate, this

corrosion can occur and progress rapidly. This is

mainly due to the high humidity and temperature,

but also air pollutants. Both ormic and acetic acids

are major organic acids contributing to the acidity o

rain. These acids readily attack and dissolve patinas,

resulting in patchy and streaky suraces.

A bronze, containing chloride corrosion, due to the

previous exposure to a chloride environment, can still

corrode in an indoor environment. These chlorides

can be due to burial, as i n the case o archaeologicalbronzes, or in contemporary bronze sculptures due

to airborne salts, handling and others. This chloride

corrosion can

be indicated as light green to turquoise spots, powdery

or solid in texture, or even as a light green liquid

when exposed to high humidity.

Its an urban legend that exposure to air-conditioning

will halt this chloride corrosion completely. Only

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