FINISHED

Contemporary artist Nam Jun Paik is most well known for his large scale video installations. This set of three prints incorporates imagery from his video works onto paper with silkscreen back ground images and lithographic collage elements in the shape of television screens. The adhesive originally used to attach the collage elements to the prints had failed and the thicker paper cards had fallen to the bottom of the frames. Only yellow squares of old adhesive were left where the cards had once been. Because these prints are multiples, the first task was to research whether other versions of this series had faced similar problems and what (if any) treatment had been performed by other conservators. Several institutions who own the same prints were contacted, but none had experienced the same adhesive failure.

Treatment

Because the smaller cards were being reattached on top of the silkscreen image and the overall paper was otherwise in excellent condition, it was decided that a contact adhesive would be best. This would eliminate exposure to moisture or heat which could cause warping in the softer and more reactive paper of the silkscreen image. Various application methods were tested to determine the minimum amount of adhesive necessary for full adhesion. After gently scraping down the existing adhesive to allow for better contact between the two papers, an acrylic adhesive was brushed on the back of the collage elements only. After the adhesive had dried sufficiently, the collage pieces were carefully repositioned and allowed to sit under weight for two days to ensure even contact. The results of the treatment were shared with the other institutions who own versions of this series in the event their prints require similar treatment in the future.