Alan Phenix with the Getty Conservation Institute has recently commenced a study of Frederick Hammsersley’s notebooks for technical information relating to his painting process and materials. Aided by these notebooks, where Hammersley logged meticulous notes for each painting, Phenix examined the work Cool de sac, #29 1977, uncovering some very interesting revelations into Hammersley’s scrupulous methodology:

This entry describes the process of the painting of the piece, with lots of detail about the paints used, etc. It’s interesting that, for the later coats, he’s adding to the tube paints more medium (additional oils including stand oil) and varnish (dammar), perhaps to modify the handling properties so as to aid manipulation by palette knife. He first signs the work at the end of ‘77, but re-signs it in Jan '78 after a further treatment of the pink. The painting is provisionally finished and framed by March '78, but he returns to it in April to get the colour of the gray just right, as the note indicates. The lovely soft sheen that the painting has now is partly due to the presence of wax in the varnish, which serves as a matting agent.  I thought this was a particularly nice example of the kind of information that’s in the notebooks; and it’s an especially nice work of Frederick’s.

Check out “Frederick Hammersey" 22 March - 12 May 2012 at L.A. Louver - opening this Thursday 5-8pm!