Restoring Warhol and Haring's fragile materials: glitter, chalk, urine, and neon

Restorers Isabel Gebhardt and Michaela Tischer of the Doerner Institut highlight the challenges in preserving artworks by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring that use unconventional, fragile materials. Warhol's 'Diamond Dust' works from 1979, which actually use ground glass, present cleaning difficulties due to their rough, dust-attracting surfaces. His 'Oxidation Paintings' from the late 1970s, created with copper powder and urine, undergo ongoing chemical changes accelerated by climatic fluctuations. Keith Haring's 'Subway Drawings' from early 1980s New York, made with chalk on paper, survive in only six examples at the Museum Brandhorst, where contamination and removal marks are intentionally preserved. Both artists also employed neon colors, which are highly sensitive to light and UV radiation, requiring strict display controls. The blog post was published on October 20, 2024, for the 7th European Day of Restoration, focusing on specific conservation approaches needed in museum practice.