RESTORATION & CONSERVATION SERVICES | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART CONSERVATION

Modern and Contemporary Art Conservation

During the 53 years we have been conserving works of art, we have built up a formidable knowledge of different materials and the way they to react to specific environments.
 
The skill of our specialists, coupled with their vast experience, enables us to preserve, stabilise and augment the structure and surface of almost any artwork or installation, regardless of how challenging the problem or the environmental conditions.
We work closely with a number of artist studios, either acting in a consultancy-type role, or providing technical support with preventive and remedial treatments.  
 
The intense and ever-changing nature of a contemporary art studio demands flexibility and precision of the part of their wider support network and our long track record of successful problem solving means we can easily adapt our treatments to keep pace with changing circumstances.
 
We also enjoy excellent, long standing relationships with many international art galleries, working in close collaboration with their Technicians, Operations Managers and Registrars, who rely on our skill, judgement, flexibility and discretion.
 
 

Our services include:

 
• Advising on, or undertaking, the cleaning and maintenance of unusual or non-traditional materials. Over the years we have treated many unusual materials, including chocolate, plasticine, wax, found objects, human skin, plastics, and cake,
 
• Training sessions to gallery staff on object handling and how to spot some of the early warning signs of disintegration,
 
• Offering a consultancy service and technical support to artist studios, particularly when they are working with a challenging material or structure,
 
• Problem solving for electrical and kinetic art, including restoring old and new Neon lights, motors, and mobiles,
 
• Technical support to shipping firms whilst they handle and pack works of art,
 
• Providing an impartial third-party opinion on a wide range of issues relating to the fabrication, condition and maintenance of artworks,
 
 
 
• Fabricating bespoke plinths and mounts. If requested, these can integrate discreet security fixings, a service we provide to the RA Summer Exhibition to help avert potential damage or theft.

Artists we have worked on or with include:

Josef Albers
Carl Andre
Jean Arp
John Baldessari
Banksy
Fiona Banner
Matthew Barney
Mária Bartuszová
Lynda Benglis
Max Bill 
Alighiero Boetti 
Fernando Botero 
Louise Bourgeois
Frank Bowling 
Rembrandt Bugatti 
Alberto Burri 
Agustín Cárdenas  
Anthony Caro 
Enrico Castellani 
Lynn Chadwick 

John Chamberlain
Jake And Dinos
Chapman Eduardo
Chillida Christo
Lygia Clark
George Condo
Nigel Cooke
Tony Cragg
Martin Creed
John Currin
Salvador Dalí
Richard Deacon
Berlinde De Bruyckere
Wim Delvoye
Niki De Saint Phalle
Peter Doig
Jean Dubuffet
Marcel Duchamp
Tracey Emin
Max Ernst

Spencer Finch
Urs Fischer
Barry Flanagan
Dan Flavin
Lucio Fontana
Naum Gabo
Anya Gallaccio
Ellen Gallagher
Theaster Gates
Isa Genzken
Alberto Giacometti
Antony Gormley
Dan Graham
Subodh Gupta
Andreas Gursky
Philip Guston
Peter Halley
Richard Hamilton
Duane Hanson
Barbara Hepworth

Damien Hirst
David Hockney
Carsten Höller
Jenny Holzer
Gary Hume
Robert Irwin
Allen Jones
Michael Joo
Donald Judd
Anish Kapoor
Alex Katz
Mike Kelley
Anselm Kiefer
Phillip King
Martin Kippenberger
Yves Klein
Jeff Koons
Yayoi Kusama
Michael Landy
John Latham

Fernand Léger
Sol Lewitt
Richard Long
Tsuyoshi Maekawa
Piero Manzoni
Helen Marten
Henri Matisse
Gordon Matta-clark
Paul Mccarthy
Allan Mccollum
Julie Mehretu
Fausto Melotti
Joan Miró Mondongo
Piet Mondrian
Henry Moore
Mariko Mori
Juan Muñoz
Oscar Murillo
Bruce Nauman
Alice Neel

Julian Opie
Laura Owens
Eduardo Paolozzi
Victor Pasmore
Grayson Perry
Raymond Pettibon
Pablo Picasso
Michelangelo Pistoletto
Sigmar Polke
Arnaldo Pomodoro
Kenneth Price
Richard Prince
Marc Quinn
Fiona Rae
Man Ray
Paula Rego
Jason Rhoades
Gerhard Richter
Bridget Riley
Ugo Rondinone

Mimmo Rotella
Ed Ruscha
Wilhelm Sasnal
Thomas Schütte
Sean Scully
Richard Serra
George Shaw
Cindy Sherman
David Shrigley
Daniel Sinsel
David Smith
Frank Stella

Rudolf Stingel 
Thomas Struth
Brian Sullivan 
Sophie Taeuber-arp 
Lenore G. Tawney 
Wolfgang Tillmans 
Rosemarie Trockel 
William Turnbull 
Cy Twombly 
Lee Ufan 
Bill Viola 
Jeff Wall

Andy Warhol
Ai Weiwei
Franz West
Rachel Whiteread
Hannah Wilke
Hank Willis Thomas
Rose Wylie
Andrea Zitte

To find out more about our modern and contemporary art conservation services, or to discuss a project

please get in touch

Covid-19 Update | After careful consideration and in line with Government guidelines, Plowden & Smith has reopened following a brief closure and will once again be providing our restoration services. The wellbeing of our clients and employees remains our utmost priority.