Investigation into the Surface Conductivity of Water-Sensitive Modern Oil Paints

This study investigated the practical use of conductivity measurements on modern unvarnished oil paint surfaces. The aim was to correlate recent developments in the measurement of paint conductivity with observations during surface cleaning of samples of unvarnished oil paint. Richard Wolbers has demonstrated the use of conductivity measurements for adapting aqueous cleaning solutions to remove soils from particular acrylic surfaces so as to minimise the ionic disruption at the surface of paintings. We have observed the differences in response from oil-based paint films through an experimental investigation of sample paint films as well as a painting by Jasper Johns Untitled 1964–1965. The conductivity measurements recorded on these surfaces were compared to the observed water-sensitivity of the different paint surfaces in the aim of finding possible correlations. It was evident from this study that the link between sensitivity and swelling of the paint film in the case of oil films is not as clear as it is with acrylics. The different additives, in the form of salts, can influence the measured conductivity.