CHAPTER 15. Hockney, Hume and Chandra: Surface, Change and Conservation

Abstract

Contemporary artists embrace a wide range of paints for a myriad of reasons. Colour, gloss, cost and availability are key, as are drying time, adaptability and diluent type. Since the early 1960s, synthetic polymer and oil-containing paints have been used by contemporary artists to create a variety of surface and aesthetic effects. Many contemporary painted works are, however, beginning to show changes in appearance that are chemically complex and can prove challenging for conservation treatment. This chapter explores two key paint classes – synthetic polymer and oil-containing paints – through works drawn from the Tate collection by British artists David Hockney and Gary Hume, and the Indian artist Avinash Chandra. For each work, material choices have been explored via technical examination and scientific investigation and any changes noted have been considered within the context of current materials-based paint research, and information arising from artists' interviews, which offers the opportunity for reflection on how interactions with the artist can affect both the understanding and preservation of contemporary painted works of art.