AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Since 2004 the American artist Wade Guyton (b. 1972) has used Epson inkjet printers as one of his main artistic tools to create both small and large-scale abstract and figurative paintings. Guyton’s process involves the feeding of a primed linen canvas through an inkjet printer, allowing ‘mistakes’ such as low toner, misalignments, creases, and ink pooling to generate the final image.

The use of a primed canvas rather than a substrate created specifically to receive inkjet ink (e.g. coated inkjet paper or PET) creates on one hand the artist’s recognizable and loved style; on the other hand, it presents a variety of unique preservation and conservation challenges. For example, due to the pigment ink droplets not being absorbed into the material but sitting on top of the oil-based primer, the surfaces are not only water soluble but also extremely sensitive to the touch: any pressure causes irreversible change to the surface, making handling and packing of these works very challenging. Consequently, most surface changes are irreversible and treatment options are limited.

As the machine-made surface gives the illusion that we are faced with a durable and stable artwork, understanding that this inkjet-printed canvas is highly sensitive and prone to damages is an essential to the process of caring for these paintings.

I have worked closely with the artist’s studio since 2010, and throughout my career in private practice, I have had the opportunity to examine or treat more than 80 inkjet paintings. This long-lasting relationship with the artist has given me the possibility to collaborate with him, to observe his creative process and to conduct interviews specifically pertaining to conservation. Because the materials and the printing technique Guyton employs straddle a broad range of material specializations; discussions, and collaborations with professionals from other conservation specialties and disciplines have been crucial to my current treatment approach.

This presentation will illustrate the artist’s process and many of the treatment challenges specific to this manipulated material, as well as reflect on a theoretical framework of how to approach works composed of subverted materials.