Page 60 - March-2015-Life-in-Naples-Magazine

599 NINTH STREET NORTH SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637

ASK THE ARTSPERTS DAMAGED ART www.harmonmeek.com
by Juliana Meek and Kristine Meek

Dear Artspert:

I have a piece of art that I have owned for a
long time and I just noticed it has gotten damaged.
What should I do?

Signed,

Oops I Did It

Dear Oops,

Without more information on the work of
art and the damage it is hard to give you specific
advice, but we can share with you a few cases
we have heard about and the solutions for those
situations.

One client had a bronze sculpture that had its
patina scratched during their house move. They
called us up since they bought the work from us
and we represent the artist. We were able to find
the foundry that worked with the sculptor. The client was able to ship the work back to the
foundry to have the work restored. There is a good foundry in Sarasota, Bronzart Foundry,Inc.
They can repair damage to all types of metal sculpture.
With respect to works on paper, damage can range from tears in the paper to mold, mildew
or foxing (acidic migration due to improper backing with cardboard or matting which is not
acid free). To de-acidify paper which has been exposed to improper paper materials, Cherilyn
Tocco at Tocco Framers on Fourth Avenue South, can take care of most paper-born issues.
Fading issues due to exposure to sunlight or florescent lighting are often damages which cannot
be repaired. If the work is significant in value and the problems are very complex then the
work should be sent unframed between very stiff boards to Joel Oppenheimer in Chicago on south Michigan Avenue. He bought the former
Douglas Kenyon paper restoration company many years ago.
Damage to paintings can range from holes and tears in the canvas or panel to chipping, cracking, and flaking of the actual paint, to the more
typical problem of years of layers of dust and varnish. Fortunately once again we have a conservator in Naples, by the name of Tom Wagner,
who can take care of most of these problems. As is often the case with living artists it is sometimes better to have a conservator do minor repairs
than the actual artist since in the latter case the artist may want to change what he or she painted instead of simply repairing the damage. So
giving a work back to an artist may result in a slightly altered work and may not be to your liking. Major works of art and works with significant
damage can also be sent to The Fine Arts Conservancy/Stoneledge, Inc. in Palm Beach.

Sincerely,

The Artsperts

LEFT: TOM WAGNER IN HIS STUDIO Life in Naples | March 2015
TOP RIGHT: “REGATTA” BY BALCOMB GREENE, 50” X 62”, 1973, BEFORE VARNISH WAS REMOVED BY CONSERVATOR
BOTTOM RIGHT: “REGATTA” BY BALCOMB GREENE, 50” X 62”, 1973, AFTER
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