Odd Tandberg, 1975
This sculpture (untitled) was created by the Norwegian artist Odd Tandberg (1924-2017) in 1975 and is situated in the sculpture park outside The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter at Høvikodden, Norway. The sculpture was presumably first produced for the sculpture festival at Konstsalongen Samlaren in Stockholm 1972. It is an outdoor painted sculpture constructed of zinc galvanized steel plates, in a concretistic geometric idiom.
Before treatment:
Before treatment, the sculpture’s paint layers were severely deteriorated and had been spot repaired with different paint products several times throughout the years. Corrosion had formed mainly on its bolts and fittings, and to a certain degree along the plates’ edges. The first steps of this project involved archival research and thorough paint investigations, along with a complete mapping of the condition.
To prevent further damage to the zinc coating on the galvanized steel plates, the surfaces were gently cleaned mechanically without blasting. Areas with corrosion and bare metal were treated locally with an etch primer. The whole sculpture was then coated with an anti-rust primer before repainting the top coating in its original paint system. The primer increases the durability of the top paint layers, but also acts like a clear distinction between the remaining old paint layers and the new treatment.
I carried out this project in situ together with sculpture conservator Joanna Hench for The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in 2022. A map of the sculpture park is available on their website here. The photos below and to the right shows the sculpture after the treatment was completed. Another version of this sculpture painted in red, blue and black is placed in Ås, Akershus, Norway.
