Conference – Creative Harmonies: Art of Painting Inspiring Innovative Materials

Date: Tuesday 10 September 2024
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Venue: Richelieu Amphitheatre, SUAD Campus
Open to public

Abstract

Since the ancient times, humans have developed painting techniques with various materials such as earth or ochre pigments to which wax, eggs, or gelatin (also called animal glue) can be added as binders. The tempera technique, which consists of mixing animal glue or eggs with pigments, was widespread during the Middle Ages. Later, oil paints, due to their slower drying, largely superseded tempera paints but the latter was still observed in some 17th century paintings, e.g. Nicolas Poussin’s Bacchanale d’enfants. At the end of the Renaissance, the tempera painting method was used again in order to formulate fast-drying media with paste-like consistency which adds glossier aspects to oil paintings.
How exactly do these materials assume their form? How do they bind with paint? How do they age? Answering such questions, and consequently making appropriate recommendations for conservation, requires an understanding of the structural, chemical, and other properties of the materials constituting the paints.
From a different perspective, the emergence of hybrid materials in different fields mirrors the process of artistic creation. Likewise, the organics and minerals on the artist’s palette, constituting the paints, are like the materials used in the cosmetic or construction fields. They even can inspire the oil drilling fluids field. An overview of some innovative materials based on clay minerals will be presented during this conference.

About the Speaker

Prof. Maguy Jaber serves as the Director of the Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Archaeology (LAMS). Following the completion of her Ph.D. focusing on clays and their environmental applications, she extended her research to explore the role of clays in the origins of life. Her career took a significant turn when she joined LAMS as a university professor, where she now integrates chemistry, archaeology, and art history to examine heritage materials and develop innovative archaeologically-inspired materials. In 2023, she was elected Head of the European Clay Groups Association (ECGA). Since 2021, she has also been fulfilling the role of Scientific Deputy Director at the CNRS’s Chemistry Department, where she passionately promotes research and education through interdisciplinary projects and international collaborations.