Eggshells, flowers, onion peels, sponge cake, dried bread, breast milk-these are just a few of the biological materials that some contemporary artists have used to make art. But how can works made from such perishable ingredients be preserved? And what ethical and conceptual dilemmas might be posed by doing so? Because they are prone to rapid decay, even complete disappearance, biological materials used in art pose a range of unique conservation challenges. This groundbreaking book probes the moral and practical challenges associated with displaying, collecting, and preserving these unique works of art. Theoretical considerations are complemented by a range of specific case studies, thereby affording a comprehensive and richly detailed overview of current thinking and practices on this topic. With contributions by conservators, scholars, curators, and artists, Living Matter is the first publication to address broadly these provocative issues, exploring the role of biological materials in the creative process and presenting a wide variety of possible approaches to their preservation. The free online edition of this publication is available at getty.edu /publications/living matter/ and includes videos and zoomable illustrations. Also available are free PDF, EPUB, and Kindle/MOBI downloads of the book.

In the 1960s, a group of Los Angeles artists fashioned a body of work that has come to be known as the "LA Look" or West Coast Minimalism. Its distinct aesthetic is characterized by clean lines, simple shapes, and pristine reflective or translucent surfaces, and often by the use of bright, seductive colors. While the role of materials and processes in the advent of these truly indigenous Los Angeles art forms has often been commented on, it has never been studied in depth -- until now. Made in Los Angeles focuses on four pioneers of West Coast Minimalism -- Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, and John McCracken -- whose working methods, often borrowed from other industries, featured the use of synthetic paints and resins as well as industrial processes to create objects that are both painting and sculpture. Bell, for example, coated plate glass with films of material that alter the way the light is absorbed, reflected, and transmitted, while Kauffman employed a process usually reserved for commercial signs for his work. McCracken coated plywood with fiberglass then spray painted it with countless layers of automotive paints, and Irwin spray-painted discs of hammered aluminum or vacuum-formed plastics. The detailed study of each artist's work is presented in the context of the emergence of modern art in Los Angeles, the burgeoning mid-twentieth-century gallery scene, and the light-infused LA cityscape. Initially undertaken as part of the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A.1945-1980 initiative, this volume combines technical art history and scientific analysis to investigate conservation issues associated with the work of these artists, which are often emblematic of issues in the conservation of contemporary art in general.

Vibrant colour was essential to the paintings of the American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), and when he began exploring outdoor sculpture in the late 1970s, vivid hues-often achieved through the use of recently developed industrial paints and coatings-remained an important part of his artistic vocabulary. Today, preserving these remarkable works after they have endured decades in outdoor environments around the world is an issue of pressing concern. This abundantly illustrated volume is based on extensive archival research of his studio materials, interviews with his assistants, and a thorough technical analysis of the sculpture Three Brushstrokes, now in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The book concludes with a chapter showing various options for the care, conservation, and restoration of Lichtenstein's sculptural works, making this an essential resource for conservators, curators, and others interested both in the iconic artist and modern sculpture in general.