A simple multi-analytical approach for the detection of oxidative and biological degradation of polymers in contemporary artworks

Conservation of contemporary art can be a particularly hard task due to the numerous different techniques and materials adopted by artists worldwide. Due to sampling restriction it is particularly difficult to deeply study the decay mechanism and develop new strategies for their protection. This paper presents results obtained applying a fast and reliable analytical approach to the study of the materials used in Teca con Frutta, by Massimo Zuppelli. The artwork, made in 1967, is a typical example of Arte Povera, realized using materials particularly prone to fast degradation. The choice of accessible and fast analytical techniques such as optical microscopy, micro Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) allowed to easily recognize the materials used by the artist as low-density polyethylene spray painted with nitrocellulose and alkyd resin based products. Furthermore, this paper shows how this simple analytical approach made possible to assess the presence of oxidative and biological degradation, which normally require expensive and complicated techniques. These results stress how the application of complementary techniques, associated in a manageable methodology, can provide information of invaluable utility for the study of multi-materials contemporary artworks.