contemporary plastics

Linda, an incredibly lifelike sculpture of a sleeping woman by John DeAndrea, is one of the most popular and frequently asked about works in the DAM collection. Below, conservator Jessica Fletcher responds to commonly asked questions about DeAndrea's works.

Linda, 1983, John DeAndrea. Funds from 1983 Collectors’ Choice, Dr. Charles & Linda Hamlin, Sheila Bisenius, Phyllis & Aron B. Katz, Jan & Frederick Mayer, Caroline & Rex L. Morgan, Gulf Oil Foundation, Marsha & Marvin Naiman, Joel S. Rosenblum Fund, and anonymous donors.

How does John DeAndrea make his sculptures look so lifelike?

When John DeAndrea starts a sculpture, he makes molds from living models.  For example, a school teacher named Linda was the model for the DAM’s sculpture entitled Linda. After he created molds from her body, he cast the sculpture using melted polyvinyl, a type of plastic resin.  Through this process he captured every wrinkle, goose bump and nuance of Linda’s body, including the wrinkled soles of her feet (below).

The second stage is painting the cast polyvinyl. DeAndrea builds up layers of paints and glazes to give the illusion of living skin.  Freckles, veins, and gradations in skin tone are all added where appropriate. Though early figures wore wigs, DeAndrea developed a technique to individually implant hairs on the scalp and across the body.

Why does Linda look like she is getting darker?

When DeAndrea started applying the many characteristic layers of paint and glazes to the surface of Linda, he started with a dark base coat. Over time, the top layers have aged and become more transparent, letting the dark base coat show through. The effects of 26 years of aging can also be seen on DeAndrea's Clothed Artist and Model (below).

This phenomenon is not unique to the works of John DeAndrea. The faces on Renaissance panel paintings often have an odd green appearance. Artists in that era often used green earth as a base color for faces, followed by several layers of lighter flesh colors. Just as with DeAndrea's works, the upper layers of the paintings became more transparent over time, letting the base coat show through.

We all know that plastic will last forever in landfills, but what about when it is used for works of art?

While plastic does not biodegrade in the same way as say, a paper towel, it is subject to chemical and structural deterioration. A very common problem with plastic includes separation out of the plasticizer (the component that keeps the plastic flexible). When this happens an oily residue may be felt on the surface, while the plastic itself becomes brittle.

Female figure from Clothed Artist and Model (details), shown new in 1976 (left) and before conservation treatment in 2002 (right).

Another common problem is cross-linking of the polymer chains. This means that the combinations of molecules that make up a plastic join together in new ways that change its properties. Cross-linking can be accelerated by exposure to high light levels and elevated temperatures. Water and high humidity in the environment can also interact with elements of plastic forming a weak acid as a byproduct. 

Cracks from deterioration of the polyvinyl plastic across the torso of the female figure from Clothed Artist and Model by John DeAndrea, 1976.

In the case of John DeAndrea’s sculptures, the artist often added additional ingredients to the melted polyvinyl plastic to give it specific characteristics useful in his casting techniques. These ingredients have had a variety of effects on the aging of his sculptures.

Deteriorated plastics often smell like vinegar, become discolored over time, and are subject to cracking and breakage. Paints and glazes applied to the surface of a plastic sculpture are also subject to damage over time. All of these aging properties of plastic have a direct effect on the stability and appearance of a work of art. Both of the works by John DeAndrea that are owned by the DAM (Linda and Clothed Artist and Model) have had to be treated by conservators to preserve their intended appearance.

Where is Linda when she isn’t on display in the gallery?

When Linda is not on display in the gallery, she is kept in a special storage environment that helps slow down deterioration of the plastic and the paint layers. Temperature and humidity levels are kept stable, and she is covered with cloth to protect against light and dust. While the deterioration of art work made from plastic is unfortunately inevitable, the preventive steps taken at the DAM will go a long way towards preserving pieces such as Linda for the future.

 
John DeAndrea's Linda in storage.

This conservation message is generously supported by the William H. Donner Foundation.