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CSIRO brings old art back to life
Jessica Guttridge
An Australian made painting varnish is now being trialled along the world’s leading art exhibitors
Credit: Selina Ou and Narelle Wilson. ©Selina Ou and Narelle Wilson, National Gallery of Victoria
The resin varnish was developed at FloWorks, CSIRO’s new world-class flow chemistry facility in Melbourne, in a collaboration with NGV. The facility was only officially opened two weeks ago.
The synthetic resin, MS3, is the latest generation of a synthetic varnish that was designed specifically for conservation and cultural heritage applications. After extensive testing at the Gallery, the resin is now being trialled by conservators working in several of the world's major art institutions.
The team used flow chemistry to produce the resin, which is an emerging way of chemical production that uses pumps to run chemical fluids through connected tubes and glass containers that react as they meet in a continuously flowing stream.
Batch chemistry, the more traditional method, involves mixing chemicals together in one container.
Carl Villis, Senior Conservator of Paintings at the NGV, said that MS3 has been warmly received by the international painting conservation profession because an earlier and much-loved version of synthetic resin, known as MS2A, had gone out of production in 2015.
"MS3 is clearer and more consistent in its appearance than the earlier resin as a direct result of the flow chemistry process employed by CSIRO's scientists," Mr Villis said.
Dr Deborah Lau, CSIRO's Leader of Materials for Energy and the Environment, said the new method allowed the team to develop the resin in a safer, cleaner, more efficient way than traditional chemical manufacturing.
"Flow chemistry is a cutting-edge technology that allowed us to develop a bespoke fine-art resin with minimal discolouration or cracking over time," Dr Lau said.
Dr Lau also reported the method improved colour, chemical stability, and consistency between batches.
"The resin provides a protective coating together with enhancing the visual aesthetic and can be removed without causing any damage to the underlying paint layers. This means the resin can be re-applied to artworks and protect them for generations to come,” Dr Lau said.
MS3 is also opening more opportunities for Australian businesses, according to Dr Lau.
"For a niche market like fine art preservation and restoration, lowering the costs of production meant creating an opportunity for an Australian small business, like Boron Molecular, to step in and scale-up the resin for commercialisation,” Dr Lau said.
The product has now been commercialised by a former CSIRO spin-out, Melbourne chemical manufacturer Boron Molecular.
Dr Oliver Hutt, Director of Business Development at Boron Molecular says the new manufacturing technology will help his business to operate more effectively.
"Using flow helps us get our products to market more rapidly, both here and overseas.
"The revolutionary process also means more control and higher quality material as the chemical process is refined compared to traditional large-scale production methods. This control translates to less material waste and better environmental outcomes.”
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The short-term nature of Government (3 to 4-year terms), the short-term horizon of the business system (driven by shareholder value), the media culture (infotainment and ‘gotcha’ games), the general Australian population’s cynical perspective and a preoccupation with a lifestyle all create a malaise of strategic thinking and conversation. Ultimately, it leads to a leadership vacuum at all levels. In recent years we have seen the leadership of some of our significant institutions failing to live up to the most basic standards, with Royal Commissions, Inquiries and investigations consuming excessive time and resources. · Catholic Church and other religious bodies · Trade Unions · Banks (and businesses generally, take casinos, for example) · the Australian Defence Force · the Australian cricket teams · our elected representatives and the staff of Parliament House As they say, “A fish rots from the head!” At best, the leadership behaviour in those institutions could be described as unethical and, at worst….just bankrupt! In the last decade, politicians have led us through a game of “leadership by musical chairs” – although, for now, it has stabilised. However, there is still an absence of a coherent narrative about business and wealth creation. It is a challenge. 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There were workshops, consultations with industry leaders, and conferences across industries to pursue a national microeconomic reform agenda. Remember these concepts? · global competitiveness · benchmarking · best practice · award restructuring and enterprising bargaining · training, management education and multiskilling. This agenda was at the heart of the business conversation. During that time, the Government encouraged high levels of engagement with stakeholders. As a result, I worked with a small group of training professionals to contribute to the debate. Our contribution included events and publications over several years, including What Dawkins, Kelty and Howard All Agree On – Human Resources Strategies for Our Nation (published by the Australian Institute of Training and Development). Unfortunately, these long-term strategic discussions are nowhere near as prevalent among Government and industry today. The 1980s and 1990s were a time of radical change in Australia. 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