Athos Menaboni originally rendered the murals uncovered and restored in the
Rhodes-Haverty building of Atlanta, Georgia in casein paints.
Installation of a drop ceiling kept the artist’s work hidden from the public
for many years and had damaged both finishes and plaster substrate.
Use
of the space between false and true ceilings as a return air plenum resulted
in an unusually thick deposit of urban grime.
The treatment area of approximately 10 feet wide by 30 feet long was first
assessed by Mr. Tillander. Information gained from the artist was used
to determine the appropriate cleaning and finish consolidation methods.
Once free of contaminants and unsalvageable paint chips, areas of missing
substrate were replaced with a standard gypsum based plaster.
Regions of
representative pigment were chosen and used as references for color matching
the new casein inpaint mixes. Consultation with the owner provided
direction for the balance of restoration and recreation.
The entire surface was coated with a clear acrylic after all other work was complete. Mr. Menaboni was contacted by the owner early in the project when his signature was found on the work. Input from this primary source related to original materials was particularly valuable. While it is unusual to find an artist or craftsman involved with the construction of a building that is undergoing restoration, diligent research will often produce other primary source documentation.
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on thumbnail to view finished project.