Direct communication with the artists offers a unique and valuable perspective for understanding not only the creative process underlying the artworks but also the original intentions, materials used, and executive techniques employed. This approach enables restorers to formulate more precise and targeted guidelines, tailored to the specific conservation needs of artworks. Interviews have proven to be a useful tool in determining which characteristics of the opera contribute substantially to the transmission of meaning and in assessing, for example, whether the consequences of aging or other changes in appearance alter their interpretation.
The direct meeting with the artist Giovanni Tamburelli was essential in establishing the methodological choices for the restoration intervention on Pappagallo and Ranocchia, two iron sculptures where degradation is a fundamental component of the execution technique. The oxidation products present on the surface are integral to the aesthetic qualities of the works, which is why it was important to understand how the artist’s intention, thought process, and narrative influence the value attributed to the degradation of the constituent materials. The formation of oxidation products, which alters the optical qualities of the surfaces, can be a cause of deterioration and represent a risk to the future preservation of the artworks.
The analysis of the interview allowed for determining how degradation – caused by corrosion – is part of the artist’s sculptural research and whether the value attributed to oxidation products is related to the passage of time or the aesthetic characteristics of the artworks. Corrosion creates particular optical effects that serve as the artist’s tool for the aesthetic qualification of the sculptures. Once the works are finished, Tamburelli wishes to halt the effects of this process, thereby preserving the material changes that occur over time. The meeting with the artist provided precise information on the execution technique, materials used, and Tamburelli’s interest in corrosion. The data collected and documented were essential for understanding and defining the values attributed to the oxides present on the sculptures.
La moglie di Brandi 