Treatments
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Past Treatments
Sacred Heart Building, Abbotsford Convent
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Abbotsford Convent is Australia’s largest multi-arts community. Within it lies Sacred Heart, a key piece in the broader precinct and arguably its symbolic heart. Registered for its outstanding historical and architectural significance, the two and three-storey masonry buildings, date back to 1877 and served as a facility for “fallen and wayward women.” It operated as a refuge for girls and women, offering a secure, integrated complex for housing, educating and employing the resident penitents. Our work enabled the use of these abandoned buildings for a mix of creative business, workshops and learning spaces as well as venues for cultural events and artisan-type retail. The key challenge was to achieve regulatory compliance with a degree of delight and respect for the space, all under an extremely modest budget. Our work has since been well received, and has lead to our nomination in the 2019 Australian National Architecture Awards
Laser Treatment of the Keith Haring Mural
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Laser treatment of the Keith Haring Mural was used to assess the suitability of the technique for the reduction of graffiti on the mural. This treatment was based on understanding the work’s original and added materials, coupled with testing of replicas mural itself. Using the laser helped us identify the effects of the graffiti and previous conservation efforts, which were influenced by the presence of original and added materials and their condition. Our research let to a number of interesting conclusions. First, the effects of prior treatment was observed across graffiti damaged areas, where mostly original materials remained. However, the poor condition of areas that had been previously treated for graffiti damage — including the presence of paint materials used for reintegration hampered laser treatment. Second, laser treatments were found to be more controllable and the level of clearance was more uniform when compared to solvent-based treatments. Lastly, laser-treated surfaces were also better suited to follow-up reintegration treatments. We concluded that the use of laser in the reduction of graffiti is most effective in the treatment of the intact, original yellow paint layer of the mural.