LEFT Simonds ’ First Street mural
public work of art , and will save a significant amount of money by preventing materials or installation mistakes that would require expensive treatment .
The reviews are by intent cooperative in nature . The artist and the landscape architect are looking for information on materials and installation , the administrator is looking for a maintenance plan with a budget , and the conservator is seeking information to provide fabrication and installation guidance in addition to a conservation maintenance plan . With this collaboration , the team can provide a comprehensive care plan to the commisioning entity .
Maintenance
The results of the collaboration can be surprisingly straightforward , and provide fairly simple maintenance directions to the owner / commissioning agent . When a maintenance budget is attached , the owner will know exactly how much funding is required . Routine maintenance can be carried out by trained technicians , and does not require the supervision of a conservator except for initial training .
The field of conservation has responded to the need for Pre-Fabrication Conservation Reviews by including the topic in national meetings and publications . For example , Americans for the Arts published an article in 2012 by Roger Vacovsky titled “ Conversation Before Conservation : Public Art Maintenance .” The Getty Conservation Institute has hosted international panel discussions on the conservation of public art and in Fall 2012 devoted the issue of Conservation Perspectives newsletter to the conservation of public art . Included in the American Institute of Conservation ’ s 2014 annual meeting was a panel called “ An Ounce of Prevention : The Case for Pre-Fabrication Conservation Review of New Public Art Commissions .”
Case Studies
The following two case studies from the Boston area are examples of landscape architect , artist , and conservator collaborations .
Artist Lisa Houck ’ s recently installed outdoor matte ceramic mosaic City Square in a Reflecting Pool in Iron Street Park in Boston was inspired by the iconic loft buildings in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of Boston . The reflecting pool pictured in the center of the mosaic refers to the fact that many of the buildings in this area were built over water . The pocket park was designed by Halvorson Design Partnership as “ an urban living room ”, and in collaboration with the design team , the artist created a sixfoot by six-foot mosaic for a seating area . The conservator approved the tiles , installation grout , and mortar designed to mitigate vibration from nearby truck and car traffic . The artwork requires little or no maintenance except washing away of the occasional bird droppings from soaring seagulls ( easily removed with a mild enzymatic digester ).
Artist Nancy Simonds ’ temporary outdoor mural series Beacon of Color is a neighborhoodenhancing mural installation on the exterior of the First Street Garage in Cambridge . After a fire in the building in 2008 , all the ground floor windows were boarded up and the city , recognizing that it could be years before the building was renovated , asked the art council to recommend a way to ameliorate the blighted appearance , but on a modest budget . The conservator , working with the City ’ s Community Development Department and the artist , recommended a lightweight PVC board ( approved for seven-10 years with a UV protective coating ) with a two-layer protective varnish . For maintenance , very minor graffiti and stickers can be been easily removed . Due to high roadwork grit and construction particulate in the area , the murals are washed occasionally with a mild detergent and gentle water spray . The paintings bring over 5,000 square feet of rhythm , color , and shape to this once dreary façade .
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
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