The
Technique of
Ronald Davis's Plastic Painting
by
Ben B. Johnson, Head of Conservation
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1976
On the occasion
of the American Sculpture of the Sixties exhibition at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art (April 28 - June 25, 1967), the author contacted
many of the participating artists residing in the Los Angeles area and
requested an interview to discuss materials and techniques. Ron Davis
was very cooperative and explained fully the process he used to create
his colorful geometric plastic paintings. Information on his technique,
along with that on the techniques of other Los Angeles artists, was presented
as an illustrated lecture at the Annual Meeting of the American Asociation
of Museums in New Orleans (May 21-24, 1968).1
Therefore
it should be remembered that the following description of Ron Davis's
technique represents only a certain moment in his oeuvre. Unfortunately,
there has been no followup study of the artists who were interviewed,
so changes which may have occurred in technique or materials are not documented
to date.2 The essential materials employed by Ron
Davis in fabricating the plastic paintings are polyester resin and fiberglass.
Before beginning work on the full scale painting the design is usually
worked out in a colorful painted study on acetate. Many of the larger
pieces are based on a geometric figure composed of two overlapping dodecagons.
Using basic line drawings of the twelve-sided figure, he connects angles
and planes to create a variety of compositions. The painted studies are
similar in surface and color quality to the finished pieces and enable
him to visualize and judge the composition.
Once
the composition is developed and the colors selected, he builds a fence
of polyester strips on the top of a large formica table. The table top
is waxed to act as a release material. The fence follows the dodecagon
shape and then the internal design is marked on the table top. A color
area is isolated with masking tape and then polyester resin, which has
been colored with strong toners, is brushed and poured into the area.
After the resin is firm the tape is removed and the resin allowed to harden.
This process of taping and pouring is continued until the entire design
is completed. It is possible to add several color layers and to create
tremendous variety within the individual color areas by marbleizing, overlapping,
and speckling. The surface which will eventually become the front of the
painting (the side in contact with the formica) is the lower side of the
first colored resin to be poured.
Two
forms of fiberglass, the fabric and the mat, are used in Ron Davis's process.
First the fabric is used against the initial layers of colored polyester
resin. It is embedded in a clear polyester which is brushed and poured
over the colored surface. After this layer has hardened, additional clear
polyester is applied and fiberglass mat material embedded in it. Of course
the fiberglass becomes almost transparent when embedded in the clear polyester
so that the whole structure is essentially translucent.
After
the final layer of clear polyester has hardened, the piece is removed
from the table. Polystyrene spacers are adhered to the back with clear
polyester and a polyester sheet adhered to them for strength and rigidity.
The
front surface is machine polished and buffed to remove any minute imperfections.
Finally the surface is waxed and buffed to complete the process and finish
the painting.
Ben B. Johnson
Head of Conservation
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1976
The
Technique of
Ronald Davis's Plastic Painting