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Journalism of Courage
Art may be timeless, but art objects certainly aren8217;t. They age, crumble and need maintenance. And your high investment in them means that DIY do it yourself recipes are risky and wholly avoidable. When your priceless artefact turns green with moss, it8217;s time to run to Kayan Marshall.
An Art History major from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, USA, Kayan specialises in the restoration of oil paintings. After returning to India, she found no scope for her qualifications and decided to get into art restoration. quot;There is a huge demand. So many paintings are deteriorating, but there are few restorers,quot; she explains. Kayan went to Florence and did a year-long course in painting restoration at the Lorenzo de8217; Medici School. Then she trained hands-on under the Hungarian restorer, Laslo Seres. quot;You can study for years, but it is pretty useless unless you get practical experience,quot; she says. So, in 1995 Kayan set up her studio, L8217;Atelier, and now plans to open an art gallery which will double up as a framing shop and a restoration centre.
The main problem with paintings is the varnish. If there isn8217;t a protecting layer, the oil content dries up. The paintings lose their shine and look brittle. Usually, a clean up job and new coat of varnish is enough to bring back the old gloss. But if the paintings had an original varnish, it yellows and darkens over decades, making them look dirty and dull. Also paintings are usually not treated with care and end up with holes and tears. quot;Torn paintings are like a jigsaw puzzle where you have to figure out which piece fits where,quot; she says. If the holes are gaping, she puts up a patch at the back. But that is a last resort as a patchwork starts showing up in time. Kayan prefers a putty filler jesso mixed with rabbit glue which hardens and levels the holes with the rest of the surface. Then she paints them over. With practice, getting the right shade is not difficult. quot;But what is difficult is getting the right shine. Every painting has its unique lustre,quot; she says. And in cases where the painting has become flaky, she spreads a special glue on the surface, puts a silicon paper over it and carefully irons in the flakes.
In Mumbai, the main nemesis of paintings is the weather. Pollution and humidity causes havoc. It leads to fungus attacks which eat away at the paint and canvas. Kayan consolidates the paintings with a wax and anti-fungal treatment. She always keeps a coat of varnish between the surface and the retouch job. quot;Whatever you do should be reversible. You are not to alter the painter8217;s original work. That is unethical,quot; she says. Also, if something goes wrong, the varnish can be easily removed and with it, all traces of retouching.
Her charges vary from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. But Kayan is quick to add that with a little extra care, you can postpone your trip to an art restorer. She advises that paintings should never be kept in the line of direct sunlight and should be dusted regularly with a feather brush and not a cloth wipe. Store them carefully and in the open. quot;If people don8217;t have space to hang paintings, they push them under the bed, in attics, or wrap them up in plastic or cloth.quot; But due to lack of ventilation, paintings catch fungus and sharp objects around prick holes in them.
Says Kayan, quot;Your painting may be old but it doesn8217;t haveto look aged and frayed. With proper maintenance it can become a family heirloom.quot;
