MSCI-433 Degradation of Art and Design Materials

3 Credits

In this course students will gain an understanding of how art and design materials degrade and how they can be preserved. Dirt plays a major role in the deterioration of materials therefore optimal cleaning methods are a necessity. Scientific methods are important for the study of art and design materials. The use of multi-spectral imaging and polarized light microscopy for characterization of art and design materials will be discussed. We will cover how to determine realistic goal for treatments. Students will choose an art or design material and get a chance to scientifically characterize, clean, degrade, and apply a treatment allowing for a deeper understanding of the materials they use in their practices.