| Seminar Abstracts |
 |
The
Art Institute of Chicago -Northwestern University "Analytical
Methods for Metallic Artifacts" Abstracts
First talk Non-destructive
Analysis Techniques in Archaeometallurgy
Brian Newbury Archaeometallurgy Laboratory Materials Science and Engineering Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA Examining
the microstructure directly via metallography has been a standard
metallurgist’s technique since the early 1900’s to
determine the metal’s chemistry and forming history of the
sample. Unfortunately, traditional metallography is a destructive
process which requires sampling and polishing. Researchers studying
historical and archaeological artifacts have approached this problem
by cutting samples or in situ polishing in inconspicuous locations
of the artifact to be examined; however, in certain situations
this is not possible and obtaining metallurgical data from the
artifact is impossible. In this lecture, the emerging (and completely
non-destructive) techniques of synchrotron-based X-ray analysis
and optical profilometry will be discussed as they pertain to determining
the metallurgy and metal forming of archaeological and historic
objects. Specific examples from an in-depth study of the astrolabe
collection of the Adler Planetarium and History of Astronomy Museum,
Chicago, IL, will be presented. The APS synchrotron of Argonne
National Laboratory was used to determine the metal forming history,
metallurgical phases present, and composition of both the surface
and bulk of the astrolabes via X-ray transmission diffraction,
fluorescence, and radiography experiments. In addition, optical
profilometry was used to quantify measurements of the engraving
features on a subset of the astrolabes. From this combined data,
metal production and forming techniques have been determined for
the various astrolabe production centers around Medieval Europe
and the Islamic East.
Second talk Emerging
Microscopy Techniques: Answers Looking for Appropriate Questions
Vinayak Dravid, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Director, NUANCE, Northwestern University Our understanding
of materials, structures and phenomena has closely followed developments
in tools and techniques to analyze them. The illustrations of direct
observations are often the first actions leading to understanding
of natural phenomena. In words of Thomas Huxley; the motivating
force for making direct observations originates in the direct interplay
of the object or phenomenon and the observer.
It was the human eye that was the only "microscope" for observations until Hooke, an Englishman, and a Dutch scientist van Leeuwenhoek, made observations through their home-made optical microscopes in the 17th century. It was through such efforts that led to the modern era of microscopy. Modern microscopy is able not only to image structures at unprecedented resolution, but offers a variety of complementary information about local chemistry, electronic structure and dynamics. These developments can be categorized based on radiation sources (e.g., light, x-ray, etc.) or proximal probes such as scanning probe microscopy. The presentation will cover emerging developments in electron, ion and scanning probe microscopy, with particular attention to the practicalities in context of applications to arts and archaeology, including: - Environmental SEM – for imaging/analysis of pristine (wet/oily) structures, - Focused Ion Beam – which enables site-specific nano-sampling of precious structures - Near-field scanning optical microscopy – which provides noninvasive optical probe for imaging and spectroscopy, and Scanning near-field ultrasound holography – which is a newly developed technique for sub-surface and non-destructive imaging of embedded features at the nanoscale. Third talk Heather
Lechtman,
Professor of Archaeology and Ancient Technology Director, Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Several kinds of bronze alloy were in use in Western Asia and in the Andean zone of South America during the prehistoric period. In both regions arsenic bronze (Cu-As alloys) and tin bronze (Cu-Sn alloys) were produced and used coevally and for long periods of time. Yet eventually, arsenic bronze was supplanted by tin bronze in both the Old and the New World. The presentation will explore the comparative mechanical and physical properties of these alloys, the metallic ores from which they were smelted, the extractive metallurgical regimes that produced them, and possible explanations for the change in their utilization through time. |
The
Art Institute of Chicago/Northwestern University
Seminar Series on Conservation Science ”Color Science and Imaging in the Museum and Engineering fields” Thursday, March 17, 2005 Abstracts and Bios First
talk Joseph T. Walsh, Jr. Abstract: In this talk, I will focus on four of these new techniques: Optical coherence tomography (OCT), confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and polarization-based imaging. Each technique is impacting the understanding of biological phenomena; each is non-destructive, high resolution, and yielding of data not previously obtainable. Further, while OCT and confocal microscopy images are fundamentally based upon the light scattering properties of the material, two-photon images are fundamentally based upon fluorescence properties and polarization images are based upon measures of how the material under study influences the polarization properties of light. In this talk, I will present the advantages and limitations of each technique. I will discuss indications for use of each system. Finally, while the examples in the talk will be drawn from the medical and biological fields, the presentation will deal largely with fundamental issues so that a discussion of uses in the analysis and conservation of art can follow. Biography His research area is the study of light-tissue interactions. He has an ~20-year history of investigating the photophysics and photobiology of laser-based ablation. He is currently focusing his efforts on an understanding tissue birefringence, the propagation of polarized light in tissue, the development of polarization-based imaging systems, and nanostructured surfaces for biosensing applications. His research is funded currently by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Walsh is a co-investigator in an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center that conducts research at the confluence of university engineering teaching and educational theory. Dr. Walsh has been a program chairman for 4 major conferences in his field in the past 12 years. He is the immediate past-president of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Walsh conducted his doctoral research in the Wellman Laboratories at the Massachusetts General Hospital and received his Ph.D. from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology.
Rejuvenating the Appearance of Cultural Heritage Using Color and Imaging Science Techniques Roy S. Berns Abstract: Biography |
Art Institute
of Chicago/Northwestern University Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 Morton Auditorium, The Art Institute of Chicago
Abstracts and Bios First talk: Jay Xu (Pritzker Curator of Asian Art, The Art Institute of Chicago): “Common Technology, Opposite Approaches: Bronze Casting at Sanxingdui and Zhongyuan” Abstract: This talk will compare the bronze fabrication techniques in the Zhongyuan (Central Plain of China) and at Sanxingdui to show how a fundamentally similar technology was applied in a drastically different ways to create bronze objects due to a combination of factors: demands imposed by the objects to be fabricated and preferences of different workshops. Biography: Jay
Xu studied Chinese art history in Shanghai and in the Department
of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University (M.A., 1993; Ph.D.
candidacy). Before his appointment at the Seattle Art Museum,
in 1996, Mr. Xu was a fellow in the Department of Asian Art,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1994–96), and
an assistant curator at the Shanghai Museum. Second talk: Marcus L. Young (Mc Cormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University): “Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction and Imaging of Ancient Chinese Bronzes” Abstract: High-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction, fluorescence, and imaging experiments were performed at the Advanced Photon Source on three ancient Chinese bronzes from the Art Institute of Chicago with the goal of non-destructively studying their microstructure. The first object, a bronze fragment from a early Western Zhou dynasty vessel (Hu, 11th/10th century B.C), provided spatially-resolved diffraction information on the depth and composition of the surface corrosion layer and the composition and grain size of the underlying bronze core. The second object, a bronze dagger-axe (Ge, 3rd/2nd century B.C.) with a silver-inlaid sheath studied under both diffraction and imaging conditions, was determined to have been cast as a single object, answering longstanding scholars’ questions on whether the ceremonial object concealed an interior blade. The third object, a bronze tripod food cauldron (Ding, 8th century B.C.) was studied using both diffraction and fluorescence to determine whether an inscription, with interesting style and content, inside the vessel had been cast or carved. Biography: After
graduating from the University of North Texas (UNT) in 1997 with
two Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Ceramics and in Sculpture,
I ran my own ceramic business, Infinite Vision, for two years
before going back to school at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM)
where
I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Metallurgical and
Materials Science Engineering in 2001. As a third year PhD candidate
at Northwestern
University (NU) in Materials Science and Engineering, I am co-advised
by Prof. David Dunand at NU and Dr. Dean Haeffner at the APS. Third talk: David A. Scott (Professor in Art History and Archaeology, and Chair of the UCLA/Getty Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation ): “Aspects of Bronze Patinas” Abstract: The talk today will discuss examples of the corrosion of ancient bronzes which result in the formation of patinas whose preservation is a critical aspect of their authenticity and history. The problems of instability associated with bronze disease and attempts to arrest destructive corrosion will be briefly described. Examples of ancient bronzes from Chinese, Egyptian and Roman cultures will be used to illustrate the themes of patina and preservation. Biography: David
A. Scott, BSc in Chemistry from the University of Reading; BA in
Conservation from the Institute of Archaeology, London; Ph.D. from
University College, London in 1982. Awarded FRSC in 1991 and FIIC
in 1994. From 1981-7, Lecturer in Conservation at University College,
Institute of Archaeology, Department of Conservation and Materials
Science. From 1987-2003, Head of the Museum Research Laboratory,
Getty Conservation Institute. Professor in Art History and Archaeology,
and Chair of the UCLA/Getty Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic
Conservation, 2003-present. His principal interests are the analysis
of Museum objects, the characterization of pigments, ancient metals
and microstructure, the teaching of conservation, and the archaeometallurgy
of pre Hispanic Colombia and Ecuador. Fourth Talk: William A. Ellingson (Senior scientist, Energy Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory): “Recent Advances in X-ray Imaging Technology: Direct Digital, Volumetric Computed Tomography, --What Role in Archeomaterials?” Abstract: Several technological advances in x-ray imaging, primarily in new detectors, have provided this mature diagnostic imaging modality with added capabilities. Film is being replaced by very high spatial resolution direct digital detectors employing amorphous silicon or amorphous selenium substrates with various scintillator screens such as CsI or Gd2O2S;Tb3. By using small scale integrated circuits based on thin film transistor (TFT) technology or complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the pixel sizes are presently as small as 40 um. Direct digital detectors have high dynamic range, 16-bits, can come in large area formats, up to 40 cm by 40 cm, or can be extremely large in a single linear array—up to 136 cm. These detectors can be used with high x-ray energies, KeV and MeV providing sufficient power to penetrate large objects, Direct digital also allows easy archival of data in digital format. The large area detectors provide the opportunity for fast data acquisition for volumetric x-ray computed tomography. Volumetric computed tomography, together with advanced digital imaging algorithms, allows quantization of feature sizes and distribution in 3D. This talk will discuss these various direct digital x-ray imaging advances and several examples of recent data will be provided. Biography: Dr. William A. Ellingson is a senior scientific staff member within the Energy Technology Division of Argonne National Laboratory. His research area for the past 23 years has been development of non-contact, nondestructive test methods with an emphasis on ceramic materials. His early work on x-ray imaging involved characterizing 300-500 BC sherds in a cooperative effort with staff of the Conservation-Analytical Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He holds many patents including patents in magnetic resonance imaging, laser-based optical scattering, holographic imaging, thermal imaging technology and automated data acquisition. He is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society, a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and is a member of several National committees on nondestructive evaluation technology. His present research is funded by the US Department of Energy, Department of Defense(US Army, DARPA, Air Force) , NASA, Department of Homeland Security, several private industries including GE, Siemens-Westinghouse, 3M, Honeywell Engines and Systems, Boeing , Caterpillar Inc and several others. Fifth Talk: W. Thomas Chase (President, The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) “Authenticity and Technical Studies of Chinese Bronzes” Abstract: Authenticity problems have plagued the study of ancient Chinese bronzes since its beginnings in the Song Dynasty. First we will see a short program produced for Discover, the World of Science, entitled “How to make the perfect forgery” -- they don’t succeed, and we’ll see the reasons why. Then we will look at the continuum of authenticity in Chinese bronzes, from untouched authentic bronzes to whole-cloth forgeries, clearly made with intent to deceive. Examples will be shown. In some cases, simple tests can decide the question, but in other cases we must use sophisticated equipment. The single most definitive test still seems to be examination of a cross-section of the metal and its corrosion products. One should always look at a constellation of features in determining a bronze’s authenticity. Biography: Tom
Chase now runs the consulting company, Chase Art Services, specializing
in examination and conservation of archaeological
metals and outdoor sculpture. Until 1997 he was Head Conservator
of the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research of the
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, DC. He majored in Conservation of Art
at Oberlin College, and then studied at the Conservation Center
of the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. His Masters
Thesis was, "Chinese Belt-Hooks in the Freer Gallery of Art",
with Alexander C. Soper as advisor. During his graduate studies,
he took his student internship at the Freer Technical Laboratory
under Rutherford J. Gettens and returned to the Freer after completing
his degree in 1966: he became Head Conservator in 1968. President
of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic
Works and a Fellow of The International Institute for Conservation
of Historic and Artistic Works, he was instrumental in organizing
a bronze treatment project in Thailand in 1975 with the cooperation
of the JDR 3rd Fund and the Thai Department of Fine Arts, was part
of an Art and Archaeology Delegation to China in 1973, and attended
the BUMA (Beginnings of the Use of Metals and Alloys) Symposia
in China in 1981 and 1994. He organized and taught a short course
on archaeological bronze conservation at Peking University in 1997,
taught for a year in the Graduate Conservation Program at the Tokyo
National University of Fine Arts and Music, and in 2001 held a
3-month research fellowship in the CNRS Metallurgy Laboratory in
the Curie University in Paris. Mr. Chase's primary research interest
is technical study of ancient Chinese bronzes, and his work at
the moment concentrates on lead isotope studies, studies of fabrication
methods. and corrosion. In 1998 he was awarded the College Art
Association/Heritage Preservation Joint Award for Distinction in
Scholarship and Conservation and the University Products Award
for Distinguished Achievement, presented at the Washington Meeting
of the American Institute for Conservation. |
Art
Institute of Chicago/Northwestern University Tuesday, May 30, 2006 Cook
Hall Room 2058 / Technological Institute Room L211
Abstracts and Bios First talk: Laure Dussubieux (The Field Museum): “Elemental Analysis Using Laser Ablation – Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry: Application to the Study of Ancient Glass ” Abstract: Laure Dussubieux demonstrated the use of laser ablation/ inductively coupled - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to group various artifacts made of ancient glass into specific regions of South and Southeast Asia, based on specific impurity contents. Biography: Second talk: Richard Brow
(University of Missouri, Rolla): "Looking at Glass
Rather Than Through It" Biography: Third talk: David Seidman (Northwestern University): "Subnanoscale Chemical Analyses of Materials Employing 3-D Atom-Probe Tomography" Abstract: Professor David Seidman described a local-electrode atom-probe (LEAP) tomograph for studying the chemistry and structure of materials with sub-nanoscale resolution in three-dimensions. The LEAP tomograph can analyze, atom-by-atom, a volume of material from a region of a specimen that has a cross-sectional area of 100x100 nm2 and a depth of many micrometers. Seidman presented examples of precipitation studies in metallic alloys and demonstrated how the technique can be modified for ceramic specimens. Biography: Fourth Talk: Pamela Vandiver
(University of Arizona): "Rescuing Our Links to
the Past:The Role of Materials Research in Heritage Conservation
Science" Biography:
|
Art
Institute of Chicago/Northwestern University Tuesday,
September 12, 2006 Abstracts and Bios First talk: Lec Maj "The Xiangtangshan Cave Project: 3D Digital Reconstruction and Recontextualization" Abstract: These 6th- century Buddhist cave shrines in the Fengfeng Mining District, Hebei province, in China have been looted and sculptures removed or destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century. The project is engaged in digital preservation and reconstruction of the caves. Using a 3D laser surface scanner, Maj led a team that traveled to China and several museums in Europe and the United States to image fragmentary sculptural groups. Maj also discussed opportunities of creating a direct reproduction from the 3D model and the challenges in making this research accessible via the Web. Biography: Lec Maj is a Computer Research Assistant in the Division of Humanities at the University of Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago (1999), and a Masters of Science in Computer Science at the University of Chicago (expected June 2006). Mr. Maj’s background includes user interface design, user computer interaction, and visualization. He is currently engaged in research and three-dimensional visualization of the Xiangtangshan Temples; Chinese silk manuscripts, and Persepolis tablets. Second talk: Jack
Tumblin “Discovering Pentimenti in Paintings
from 4D Reflectance and Merged Visualizations” Biography: Jack Tumblin is an assistant professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at Northwestern. He joined NU in 2001 following post-doctoral work at Cornell University after receiving his PhD in computer science at Georgia Tech. Before returning to Georgia Tech for his 1990 Masters in Electrical Engineering, he was co-founder of IVEX Corp, where his image-based flight simulator design work led to 6 patents. Prof. Tumblin was co-organizer of a short-course on computational photography at SIGGRAPH 2006 this summer and has been assistant editor of ACM Transactions on Graphics between 2001-2006. His work is funded by the National Science Foundation, Adobe Systems, Inc., and others. Third talk: David Channin "Digital Medical Imaging: A State of the Art" Abstract: Discussing both theory and instrumentation, Channin highlighted the comparison of the issues at play in medical versus artifact radiology, as well as a discussion of the advantages of digital versus film radiography. Biography: Dr.
Channin received a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and
Computer Science from Brandeis University in 1982. He studied medicine
for four years at the University of Paris VII before returning to the
United States and the Penn State College of Medicine where he earned his
M.D. degree in 1992 and completed a 5-year residency program in Diagnostic Fourth Talk: JP
Brown and William Pestle “I
can see through your skirt, I've got x-ray specs': opportunities
and limitations of three-dimensional imaging using medical
computed tomography, examples from the Field Museum” Biography: JP Brown earned a BSc in Archaeological Conservation from University College Cardiff in 1986 and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Chicago in 2005. He has held positions in Conservation at York archaeological Trust, Yorkshire and Humberside Museums Council and the University of Wales, Cardiff between 1986 and 1993 and was a consultant on indoor environments for preservation of historic buildings and their collections at several American War of Independence sites between 1993 and 2004. Since 2002 JP Brown has been a conservator at the Field Museum in Chicago. His current research and teaching interests are the measurement, analysis, and control of museum preservation environments and the use of multiple COTS computer graphics cards on a single computer to accelerate 3D reconstruction of CT datasets. William Pestle is a PhD Candidate in the Dept. of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Pestle received a MSc in Human Osteology, Paleopathology, and Funerary Archaeology from the University of Bradford in 1999 and a BA in Classical Archaeology from the University of Michigan, 1995. Pestle has held several posts as Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Lake Forest College, (2004-) as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences of the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, (2003-) as Collections Manager in the Department of Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History, (2000) and Assistant to the Registrar at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, (1996-1999). His current research focuses on Prehistoric dietary reconstruction through stable isotope analysis, Prehistoric medical ethnobotanicals, and Skeletal biology in Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.Fifth Talk: Tom
Malzbender “Reflectance Imaging:
A Simple Approach to Capturing Surface Detail” Biography: Tom Malzbender is a Senior Research Scientist in the Mobile and Media Systems Lab within Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. Malzbender developed the capacitive sensing technology that allowed HP to penetrate the consumer graphics tablet market. In 1986 he joined HP Labs, working in the area of parallel processing and neural approaches to computer vision. Since then he has focused on 3D computer graphics and computer vision, specifically the intersection between the two, as well as applying signal processing methods to both. Malzbender is on the program committee for several 3D graphics and vision conferences and is known for his work in applying Fourier methods to volume rendering and image based relighting of artifacts. Malzbender’s current research interests are photorealistic avatars for teleconferencing, image based relighting for conveying shape information and image based surface detailing. He also works in 3D model reconstruction from multiple handheld images and texture synthesis. a) Elizabeth Walmsley graduated with a BA from Dartmouth College and received a MA in Art History with a Certificate in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College. Currently Walmsley is a painting conservator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Having worked on the NGA's systematic catalogue project, she became interested in the technical examination of Old Master paintings using digital imaging, infrared reflectography and x-radiography, and in the history of conservation. b) Allison Langley received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1998 she received her graduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Currently she holds the position of Assistant Painting Conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2004 she and Frank Zuccari co-authored the essay “Seurat’s Working Process: The Compositional Evolution of La Grande Jatte,” which appeared in the exhibition catalogue for “Seurat and the Making of La Grande Jatte,” presented by the Art Institute of Chicago. c) Robert Erdmann received his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona, where he is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Program in Applied Mathematics. He specializes in computational materials science, image-based microstructure analysis, and advanced scientific visualization. He has also worked for the past 11 years as a science and engineering consultant, developing robust simulation software for industrial clients. |
Art
Institute of Chicago/Northwestern University Abstracts and Bios First talk: Paul Whitmore Keynote Address: "Understanding and Managing Light-induced Changes to Artifacts" Abstract: Biography: Second talk: Kimberly Gray "Probing the Effects of Light, Humidity and Acidity on the Deterioration of a Zinc Potassium Chromate Pigment" Abstract: . Biography: Third talk: David Dumbleton "Considerations in the Environmental Exposure Testing of Archival Materials" Abstract: Biography: Fourth Talk: Graham
Swift "Environmentally
Degradable Polymers and Plastics" Biography: |
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