Plastics and Art

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Plastics and Art

• Caroline Bunnell
• Kar-Chan Choong
• Crystal Hou

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Introduction

• Art no single definition, use of skills and
  imagination in creation of aesthetic objects,
  environment, or experiences that can be shared
  with others.
• Plastics synthetic polymers, dictionary defines
  it as capable of being molded or of receiving
  form.

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Why plastics are used?

• Capable beyond the capacity other materials.
• Give any complex shape.
• Durable, inexpensive, light in weight,pleasant to
  handle, not scratch.
• Color
• Easy to combine with other materials.

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Plastics as Art Medium

• Decorative Art
• Architecture
• Sculpture
• Art Restoration
• Modern Paint

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Decorative Art

• Earliest plastics used Vulcanite, Parkesine and
  shellac.
• 1860s, celluloid created to replace ivory.

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• 1920s, Bakelite Beetle were used to substitute
  wood in radio cabinets.
• Bakelite- colorful and glossy effect.
• Beetle used for kitchen and tableware chemical
  stability and lighter color.

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• Melamine, Nylon and Polythene are used in
  tableware and laminates.
• Polyurethane, ABS, acrylic PVC are used by
  designers to create product, clothes jewelers
  with foam shape glossy wet look.

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Nylon

• Both Nylon-6,6 and Nylon-6 can be extruded into
  strong fibers, and can be made into textiles
  similar to silk and cotton, although the most
  common and sought after use of nylon in the first
  30 years after its discovery was as women hosiery
  and stockings.
• The reason why nylon makes good fibers because of
  the hydrogen omitted. There is a hydrogen bond
  attraction between the N-bonded hydrogen atoms on
  one chain and the C-bonded oxygen atoms on
  another.

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Architecture

• Not widely used before ,misconception of
  plastics, suspicious of longevity.
• Extensively used now to replace traditional
  building materials such as protective coating,
  insulator, damp proof membrane.
• 1940s, traditional materials cost increased,
  plastics were manly used in fencing, wall
  ceiling claddings joinery molding.

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• In expensive architectural, transparent acrylic
  or scratch- resistant polycarbonate sheeting are
  used can be heat-formed to curve and shape,
  high resistance to breakage.

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Centre Georges Pompidou (1977), Paris

• The external escalator tube are formed from clear
  plastic panels shaped into curves.

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IBM Pavilion

• Designed by Renzo Pianos Building Workshop in
  which the strength of formed polycarbonate is
  cleverly exploited.

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Olympic Game Tent

• In 1972, Munich.
• Tension structure designed by Frei Otto.
• Synthetic fabrics made from nylons, polyester or
  glass fiber coated with PVC or neoprene.

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Fuji Pavilion

• Expo 70 in Osaka.
• The latter comprise either single later,
  air-supported membranes that require a constant
  input of air to maintain internal pressure, or
  tubular, ribbed air-inflated structure.

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US Pavilion

• Acylic Panel were used within the geodesic dome
  structure designed by R. Buckminster Fuller for
  the US pavilion at Expo 67, Montreal.

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Disadvantages

• Flammability and degradation of plastic.
• Unavoidable environmental concern as energy used
  and pollution in manufacturing process.

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Advantages of Using Plastics in Sculpture

• Versatility
• Light weight
• Low cost
• Uses the same tools as in metals, wood

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Polyester Resin

• Thermoset hardens when a catalyst is added or
  heat is applied
• Manufactured by network formation crosslinking
  with the use of polyols
• This plastic can degrade by hydrolysis

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Polyester Resin Cont.

• Made by the Artist before use
• - Fillers Color (pigments), texture (sand,
  gravel)
• 39.99 for 1 gal to 129.99 for 5 gal
• One example of use is in bonded bronze
• - Grounded bronze added to polyester mix to
  give the appearance of cast bronze

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                                        The
Thinker   by Auguste Rodin In bonded bronze  
                                                  
                                                  
             
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Epoxy

• Created in a two step process
• - step growth polymerization
• - the molecular weight is then increased in a
  curing step, reacted with an anhydride

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Epoxy Cont.

• Thermoset hardens when a catalyst is added or
  heat is applied
• High chemical and corrosion resistance
• Brittle and high moisture absorption
• 23.99 for 1 qt. to 59.99 for 1 gal.
• This is another plastic created by the artist

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Epoxy Cont.

• Used to create form through molding
• - a mold is created by clay epoxy is then
  applied to mold and then allowed to dry

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                        Red Sculpture  By
Gerard BowlesMaterials are epoxy and polyester
resins                                        
                                                  
                        

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Acrylic Poly(methyl-methacrylate)

• Also known as Plexiglas A Trademark of Rohm
  Haas Co
• Free-radical Polymerization
• Thermoplastic, amorphous
• Resistant to acid and environmental deterioration
  

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Acrylic Cont.

• Susceptible to thermal degradation by
  depolymerization
• - chain scission breaks backbone bonds, creates
  free radicals
• Rigid, transparent, and shatter resistant
• Easy to scratch

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                            Diver By Sophie
Gal   Acrylic                                   
                                                  
                 
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StyrofoamPolystyrene

• Created by free radical polymerization
• Thermoplastic
• Vulnerable to photooxidative degradation
• - ultraviolet radiation is absorbed and
  cleavage occurs along main chain and phenyl ring,
  creates carbonyl-group formation

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Styrofoam Cont.

• Creates a brittle and a yellowing of the plastic
• 2 Cubic Feet 15.00 to 40 Cubic Feet 175.00
• Used in lost form casting
• - a foam sculpture is set into a sand mold the
  sand is packed tightly, then a molten metal is
  added to the mold

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                            An Unexpected
Surprise By LeRoy Wynne Lost foam casting in
Bronze                                          
                                                  
                      
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Art Restoration

• Varnish
• - a solution that is made from synthetic or
  natural resins dissolved in organic solvents,
  after drying it creates a protective film on the
  surface.
• Natural varnishes tend to yellow and darken with
  time, while synthetics tend not to yellow as
  quickly

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Art Restoration Cont.

• They have differing properties in gloss,
  durability, flexibility and protection
• Acrylic varnishes and paints dry quickly and
  acrylic paint cracks less then oil based paint
• The use of acrylic varnishes and paints can
  create problems however

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Art Restoration Cont.

• Acrylic varnishes and paints have a glass
  transition temperature at or below room
  temperature
• They will always be in a soft state
• - easy to damage
• - they collect dirt and dust giving the
• work a dirty appearance

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Art Restoration Cont.

• Should acrylic varnishes be applied to acrylic
  paints?
• Many artists have insisted their works remain
  unvarnished
• If the varnish ever has to be removed in the
  future the solvent used to remove the varnish
  would harm the painting

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Modern PaintsPaint
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• Pigment can be considered, as an objective of a
  painting and medium is a means to an end. In
  order to serve the pigment well and to preserve
  the life of a painting, all media have to meet
  certain requirements. These requirements are
  follow
• The medium must have enough transparency in
  itself and not to change the color of the
  pigment.

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• The medium should not discolor with age.
• The medium should protect the pigment by forming
  a file while the paint go dries.
• The film should allow for expansion and
  contracting of the paint caused by temperature
  and humidity changes so that the paint will not
  crack.
• The medium should be a strong binder and it
  should maintain the adhesion for unlimited time.

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Natural and Synthetic Binders (Resins)

• Natural Resins
• Oil and watercolor.
• Used it as interior and exterior house
  paints by most artists.

• Synthetic Resins
• Acrylic and Vinyl.
• Have a number of advantages over natural
  Resins. (i.e. quick drying time, reduced
  yellowing with time.)

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Synthetic resin become available and have been
widely used through out the twentieth century
paints. They are

• Nitro-cellulose (Pyroxylin)
• Alkyd
• Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA)
• Acrylic

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Properties of Nitro-cellulose

• Quick drying time
• Resoluble and create a thin layer in every
  application at all time
• Tendency to become brittle therefore, not
  recommendable as an outstanding medium for
  painting
• Has serious disadvantage for painting because it
  decomposes with time

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Who used Nitro-cellulose and how they used it?

• Jackson Pollock
• Dripping paint on the horizontally place
  canvas.
• His way of painting was different from usual
  techniques of painting.

• David Alfaro Siqueiros
• Claimed to be the first artist who used it as
  a painting material.
• Used it as in unconventional way such as
  staining, dripping, and pouring fluid paint onto
  a support.

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Alkyd

• Is a polyester formed by reaction of polybasic
  organic, acids and polyhydric alcohols that
  become an ester linkage.
• In 1927, the first oil modified alkyd was
  introduced into the paint market.
• In 1940s, alkyd resin was introduced to the
  industry and household paint formulation.

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• The replacement of nitro-cellulose by alkyd house
  paint was not succeeded because of longer drying
  time and only give limited success in the
  artists paint market.

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Who used Alkyd and how they used it?

• Pablo Picasso was the most famous artist who
  worked with alkyd in his painting, house
  painting, and boat painting.
• Many artists used house paint rather than
  artists paint because artists paint was
  expensive and often unavailable in market.
• Other artists such as Willem de Kooning,
  Australian artist Sidney Nolan, Peter Blake, and
  Frank Stella used Alkyd in their career.

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Alkyd

• Gillian Ayres, Distillation 1959, oil and alkyd
  house paint on hardboard (1959).

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Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA)

• In 1930s, PVA first appear in paint market.
• There are two kinds solution and emulsion form
  of PVA.
• The solution form PVA gets dry easily by
  evaporation of solvent and much faster than alkyd
  oil paint.
• The emulsion forms of PVA are not dissolved in
  water but dispersed in water.

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• The major advantage of the emulsion are shorter
  drying time and water is the main component in
  emulsions so that it can reduce the amount of
  organic solvent and strong odor.
• A number of artists were used PVA emulsion in
  their paintings such as Alfred Duca, Bridget
  Riley and Kenneth Noland.
• However, it did not give much success to those
  artists because of a very limited color range and
  the introduction of the quality acrylic emulsion
  to the artists.

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PVA

• Sidney Nolan, Woman and Billabong, 1957, PVA
  emulsion on hardboard.

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Acrylic

• Acrylic becomes widely used in 1930s.
• Acrylic is the newest painting medium and has the
  advantages flexibility brighter colors.
• Acrylic applications are waterproof when dry.
• The first acrylic paint was known as Magna and is
  the best known of the acrylic solution range of
  paint.

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• The first artist acrylic emulsion paint was known
  as Liquitex.
• Liquitex did not success in the market because it
  was thin and runny.
• Acrylic emulsion paints are not much different to
  the PVA emulsion such as they can be thinned
  with water when wet, but cannot be re-dissolved
  in water once dried..
• The significant feature of acrylic was the
  ability of reducing wrinkles while the painting
  was drying.

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Acrylic and PVA

• Kenneth Noland, Gift 1961-2, acrylic solution and
  PVA emulsion on canvas.

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Acrylic

• Helen Frankenthaler, The Bay 1963, acrylic on
  canvas. The Detroit Institute of Arts.

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Conclusion

• Polymers can be used in many different
  applications in art from architecture to paints.
• Its versatility and properties offer durable and
  low cost.
• They can offer the artist or designer different
  avenues for creating and design.
• With the rapidly expansion of study in polymers,
  plastic is potentially used as an alternative
  material for art with its own unique freedom of
  expression.

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References
1. Beck, James Art Restoration the Culture, the
Business and the Scandal, W.W. Norton, New York,
1996.   2. Faulkner, Ziegfeld Art Today, an
Introduction to the Fine and Functional Arts,
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1956.   3.
Fried, Joel Polymer Science and Technology,
Prentice Hall, New York, 1995.   4. Newman,
Thelma R. Plastics as an Art Form, Chilton Book
Company, Philadelphia, 1969.
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• 5. Padovano, Anthony The Process of Sculpture,
  Doubleday and Company, Inc., New York, 1981.
• 6. Smithsonian Center for Material Research and
  Education. Ed. A.B. NGadi. 2001. 24, March 2001.
  http//www.si.edu/scmre/
• 7. Williams, Arthur Sculpture Technique Form
  Content, Davis Publications, Inc., Massachusetts,
  1995.
• 8. Crook, Jo, Tom Learner, the impact of MODERN
  PAINTS, Watson-Guptill Publication, N.Y, 2000.
• 9. Woody, Jr. R. O., Painting with Synthetic
  Media, Reinhold Publishing Corporation, N.Y.,
  1965.