Plastics and Art
Caroline Bunnell
Kar-Chan Choong
Crystal Hou
Introduction
– no single definition, use of skills
and imagination in creation of aesthetic
objects, environment, or experiences
that can be shared with others.
 Plastics – synthetic polymers, dictionary
defines it as “capable of being molded
or of receiving form.
 Art
Why plastics are used?
 Capable
beyond the capacity other
materials.
 Give any complex shape.
 Durable, inexpensive, light in
weight,pleasant to handle, not scratch.
 Color
 Easy to combine with other materials.
Plastics as Art Medium
Decorative Art
Architecture
Sculpture
Art
Restoration
Modern Paint
Decorative Art

Earliest plastics
used: Vulcanite,
Parkesine and
shellac.
 1860s, celluloid
created to replace
ivory.

1920s, Bakelite &
Beetle were used to
substitute wood in
radio cabinets.
 Bakelite- colorful
and glossy effect.
 Beetle used for
kitchen and
tableware –
chemical stability
and lighter color.

Melamine, Nylon
and Polythene are
used in tableware
and laminates.
 Polyurethane, ABS,
acrylic & PVC are
used by designers
to create product,
clothes & jewelers
with foam shape &
glossy ‘wet look’.
Nylon


Both Nylon-6,6 and Nylon-6 can be extruded into
strong fibers, and can be made into textiles similar to
silk and cotton, although the most common and
sought after use of nylon in the first 30 years after its
discovery was as women hosiery and stockings.
The reason why nylon makes good fibers because of
the hydrogen omitted. There is a hydrogen bond
attraction between the N-bonded hydrogen atoms on
one chain and the C-bonded oxygen atoms on
another.
Architecture

Not widely used before ,misconception of
plastics, suspicious of longevity.
 Extensively used now to replace traditional
building materials such as protective coating,
insulator, damp proof membrane.
 1940s, traditional materials cost increased,
plastics were manly used in fencing, wall &
ceiling claddings & joinery molding.
 In
expensive architectural, transparent
acrylic or scratch- resistant
polycarbonate sheeting are used – can
be heat-formed to curve and shape,
high resistance to breakage.
Centre Georges Pompidou
(1977), Paris

The external
escalator tube are
formed from clear
plastic panels
shaped into curves.
IBM Pavilion

Designed by Renzo
Piano’s Building
Workshop in which
the strength of
formed
polycarbonate is
cleverly exploited.
Olympic Game Tent
In 1972, Munich.
 Tension structure
designed by Frei
Otto.
 Synthetic fabrics
made from nylons,
polyester or glass
fiber coated with
PVC or neoprene.

Fuji Pavilion


Expo 70 in Osaka.
The latter comprise
either single later, airsupported membranes
that require a constant
input of air to maintain
internal pressure, or
tubular, ribbed airinflated structure.
US Pavilion

Acylic Panel were
used within the
geodesic dome
structure designed
by R. Buckminster
Fuller for the US
pavilion at Expo 67,
Montreal.
Disadvantages
 Flammability
and degradation of plastic.
 Unavoidable environmental concern as
energy used and pollution in
manufacturing process.
Advantages of Using Plastics
in Sculpture
 Versatility
 Light
weight
 Low cost
 Uses the same tools as in metals, wood
Polyester Resin

Thermoset: hardens when a catalyst is added
or heat is applied
 Manufactured by network formation
crosslinking with the use of polyols
 This plastic can degrade by hydrolysis
Polyester Resin Cont.
 Made
by the Artist before use
- Fillers: Color (pigments), texture
(sand, gravel)

$39.99 for 1 gal to $129.99 for 5 gal
 One
example of use is in bonded bronze
- Grounded bronze added to polyester
mix to give the appearance of cast bronze
”The Thinker”
by Auguste
Rodin
In bonded
bronze
Epoxy

Created in a two step process
- step growth polymerization
- the molecular weight is then
increased in a curing step, reacted with
an anhydride
Epoxy Cont.
 Thermoset:
hardens when a catalyst is
added or heat is applied
 High chemical and corrosion resistance
 Brittle and high moisture absorption

$23.99 for 1 qt. to $59.99 for 1 gal.
 This
is another plastic created by the
artist
Epoxy Cont.
 Used
to create form through molding
- a mold is created by clay; epoxy is
then applied to mold and then allowed
to dry
”Red Sculpture”
By
Gerard Bowles
Materials are
epoxy and
polyester resins
Acrylic
Poly(methyl-methacrylate)
Also known as Plexiglas ®A Trademark of
Rohm & Haas Co
 Free-radical Polymerization
 Thermoplastic, amorphous
 Resistant to acid and environmental
deterioration

Acrylic Cont.
 Susceptible
to thermal degradation by
depolymerization
- chain scission breaks backbone
bonds, creates free radicals
 Rigid, transparent, and shatter resistant
 Easy to scratch
”Diver”
By
Sophie Gal
Acrylic
Styrofoam
Polystyrene

Created by free radical polymerization
 Thermoplastic
 Vulnerable to photooxidative degradation
- ultraviolet radiation is absorbed and
cleavage occurs along main chain and phenyl
ring, creates carbonyl-group formation
Styrofoam Cont.
 Creates
a brittle and a yellowing of the
plastic

2 Cubic Feet $15.00 to 40 Cubic Feet
$175.00
 Used
in lost form casting
- a foam sculpture is set into a sand
mold the sand is packed tightly, then a
molten metal is added to the mold
“An Unexpected
Surprise”
By
LeRoy Wynne
Lost foam casting in
Bronze
Art Restoration
 Varnish
- a solution that is made from
synthetic or natural resins dissolved in
organic solvents, after drying it creates
a protective film on the surface.
 Natural varnishes tend to yellow and
darken with time, while synthetics tend
not to yellow as quickly
Art Restoration Cont.
 They
have differing properties in gloss,
durability, flexibility and protection
 Acrylic varnishes and paints dry quickly
and acrylic paint cracks less then oil
based paint
 The use of acrylic varnishes and paints
can create problems however
Art Restoration Cont.
 Acrylic
varnishes and paints have a
glass transition temperature at or below
room temperature
 They will always be in a soft state
- easy to damage
- they collect dirt and dust giving the
work a “dirty appearance”
Art Restoration Cont.
 Should
acrylic varnishes be applied to
acrylic paints?
 Many artists have insisted their works
remain unvarnished
 If the varnish ever has to be removed in
the future the solvent used to remove
the varnish would harm the painting
Modern Paints
Paint
2 components
PIGMENT
a finely dry powder
that give the color
in a painting
MEDIUM
a transparency, film-forming
component onto which the pigment
is applied and stick to a surface
Pigment can be considered, as an
objective of a painting and medium
is a means to an end. In order to
serve the pigment well and to
preserve the life of a painting, all
media have to meet certain
requirements. These requirements
are follow:
 The
medium must have enough
transparency in itself and not to change
the color of the pigment.
The
medium should not discolor with age.
The medium should protect the pigment
by forming a file while the paint go dries.
The
film should allow for expansion and
contracting of the paint caused by
temperature and humidity changes so that
the paint will not crack.
The
medium should be a strong binder
and it should maintain the adhesion for
unlimited time.
Natural and Synthetic Binders
(Resins)

Natural Resins
* Oil and watercolor.
* Used it as interior
and exterior house
paints by most
artists.

Synthetic Resins
* Acrylic and Vinyl.
*Have a number of
advantages over
natural Resins. (i.e.
quick drying time,
reduced yellowing
with time.)
Synthetic resin become available and have
been widely used through out the twentieth
century paints. They are…
 Nitro-cellulose
(Pyroxylin)
 Alkyd
 Polyvinyl Acetate
 Acrylic
(PVA)
Properties of Nitro-cellulose
 Quick
drying time
 Resoluble and create a thin layer in
every application at all time
 Tendency to become brittle therefore,
not recommendable as an outstanding
medium for painting
 Has serious disadvantage for painting
because it decomposes with time
Who used Nitro-cellulose and
how they used it?

David Alfaro Siqueiros
* Claimed to be the first
artist who used it as a
painting material.
* Used it as in
unconventional way
such as; staining,
dripping, and pouring
fluid paint onto a
support.
 Jackson
Pollock
* Dripping paint on the
horizontally place
canvas.
* His way of painting
was different from
usual techniques of
painting.
Alkyd
 Is
a polyester; formed by reaction of
polybasic organic, acids and polyhydric
alcohols that become an ester linkage.
 In 1927, the first oil modified alkyd was
introduced into the paint market.
 In 1940s, alkyd resin was introduced to
the industry and household paint
formulation.
 The
replacement of nitro-cellulose by
alkyd house paint was not succeeded;
because of longer drying time and only
give limited success in the artists’ paint
market.
Who used Alkyd and how they
used it?

Pablo Picasso was the most famous artist
who worked with alkyd in his painting, house
painting, and boat painting.
 Many artists used house paint rather than
artist’s paint because artist’s paint was
expensive and often unavailable in market.
 Other artists such as Willem de Kooning,
Australian artist Sidney Nolan, Peter Blake,
and Frank Stella used Alkyd in their career.
Alkyd

Gillian Ayres,
Distillation 1959,
oil and alkyd house
paint on hardboard
(1959).
Polyvinyl Acetate
(PVA)

In 1930s, PVA first appear in paint market.
 There are two kinds; solution and emulsion
form of PVA.
 The solution form PVA gets dry easily by
evaporation of solvent and much faster than
alkyd oil paint.
 The emulsion forms of PVA are not dissolved
in water but dispersed in water.

The major advantage of the emulsion are
shorter drying time and water is the main
component in emulsions so that it can reduce
the amount of organic solvent and strong
odor.
 A number of artists were used PVA emulsion
in their paintings such as Alfred Duca, Bridget
Riley and Kenneth Noland.
 However, it did not give much success to
those artists because of a very limited color
range and the introduction of the quality
acrylic emulsion to the artists.
PVA

Sidney Nolan,
Woman and
Billabong, 1957,
PVA emulsion on
hardboard.
Acrylic
 Acrylic
becomes widely used in 1930s.
 Acrylic is the newest painting medium
and has the advantages flexibility &
brighter colors.
 Acrylic applications are waterproof
when dry.
 The first acrylic paint was known as
Magna and is the best known of the
acrylic solution range of paint.

The first artist acrylic emulsion paint was
known as Liquitex.
 Liquitex did not success in the market
because it was thin and runny.
 Acrylic emulsion paints are not much different
to the PVA emulsion such as “they can be
thinned with water when wet, but cannot be
re-dissolved in water once dried.”.
 The significant feature of acrylic was the
ability of reducing wrinkles while the painting
was drying.
Acrylic and PVA

Kenneth
Noland, Gift
1961-2, acrylic
solution and
PVA emulsion
on canvas.
Acrylic

Helen
Frankenthaler,
The Bay 1963,
acrylic on
canvas. The
Detroit Institute
of Arts.
Conclusion

Polymers can be used in many different
applications in art from architecture to paints.
 Its versatility and properties offer durable and
low cost.
 They can offer the artist or designer different
avenues for creating and design.
 With the rapidly expansion of study in
polymers, plastic is potentially used as an
alternative material for art with its own unique
freedom of expression.
References:
1. Beck, James: Art Restoration: the Culture, the
Business and the Scandal, W.W. Norton, New York,
1996.
2. Faulkner, Ziegfeld: Art Today, an Introduction to the
Fine and Functional Arts, Henry Holt and Company,
New York, 1956.
3. Fried, Joel: Polymer Science and Technology,
Prentice Hall, New York, 1995.
4. Newman, Thelma R.: Plastics as an Art Form,
Chilton Book Company, Philadelphia, 1969.
5. Padovano, Anthony: The Process of Sculpture,
Doubleday and Company, Inc., New York, 1981.
6. Smithsonian Center for Material Research and
Education. Ed. A.B. N’Gadi. 2001. 24, March
2001. http://www.si.edu/scmre/
7. Williams, Arthur: Sculpture Technique Form
Content, Davis Publications, Inc., Massachusetts,
1995.
8. Crook, Jo, Tom Learner, “the impact of
MODERN PAINTS”, Watson-Guptill Publication,
N.Y, 2000.
9. Woody, Jr. R. O., “Painting with Synthetic
Media”, Reinhold Publishing Corporation, N.Y.,
1965.