For more than two decades, the “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden near the Walker Art Center has been a symbol of the Twin Cities.
For more than two decades, the “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture in the
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden near the Walker Art Center has been a symbol of
the Twin Cities. In February, after more than 20 years of being perched atop a
giant spoon, the 1,200-pound metal cherry was removed and taken to a local
paint facility for a facelift.
Walker
Art Center representatives who are in charge of the sculpture by Claes
Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen had noticed some surface irregularities on the
cherry and were concerned about the condition of its coatings. A failure
analysis was performed by closely inspecting the cherry from a lift while it was
still attached to the spoon. While the cherry had been repainted three previous
times throughout the years, it was noted that the paint was fading, exhibiting
slight discolorations, along with some microscopic surface cracking. These
conditions were most likely brought on by more than 20 years of extreme
conditions, such as temperature variations, UV rays from the sun and being
exposed to water as the sculpture is part of a water feature. Because of that
perfect storm for paint problems, and after being displayed for more than two
decades, it was really a choice between refinishing the entire cherry or
repairing different areas of the sculpture year after year.
After
examining multiple options, Walker Art Center representatives decided to
refinish the sculpture’s “cherry.” In February, they removed the cherry part of
the sculpture and sent it by flatbed truck to Industrial Painting Specialists
(IPS), a local coatings facility in Hugo, MN. Specifications were designed for
how the cherry should be coated after taking several issues into consideration.
Rob Roy, one of my NACE instructors who I’ve stayed in contact with throughout
the years, was able to provide me with background information about the
sculpture. Roy had consulted on the sculpture as it was being built in
Connecticut. Networking through NACE helps professionals maintain the standards
that are taught to them when they get their certification.
The
sculpture is subjected to the harsh array of Minnesota conditions, such as
temperatures that can range from more than 100 °F in the summer to -30 °F in
the winter. When the temperature changes, the sculpture’s base metal, which is
aluminum, can expand and contract through a process called coefficient of
thermal expansion and contraction. If the sculpture expands in the summer and
then contracts in the winter, the paint could present problems with adhesion at
a microscopic level. The sculpture is also wet much of the time. It contains an
internal watering system, which keeps the cherry looking shiny, but also
creates harsher conditions for the coatings. It is for this reason that
marine-grade immersion materials, which are often used to recoat yachts, were
chosen for the project. Because the sculpture is displayed outdoors, it is
subject to high ultraviolet conditions, which can cause problems such as fading
and degradation for highly pigmented colors. Additionally, because the project
is literally a piece of art, it had to look good.
The
first step in the cherry’s refinishing was to remove all of the old coating
materials by hand abrasive blast cleaning. This yielded a surprising insight
into the sculpture, as it was discovered that the cherry was constructed of
aluminum and not stainless steel as first thought. The Braun Intertec nondestructive
examination (NDE) group used a testing method called positive material
identification (PMI) to confirm the material’s type. In order to protect the
aluminum, a first coat of Sherwin-Williams SEAGUARD MP multi-purpose epoxy
primer was applied, followed by a coat of Sherwin-Williams SEAGUARD 5000 HS
Epoxy to protect the primer. Each layer of coating material helps to protect
the underlying layers.
Once the first epoxy coats were applied, the process of reshaping the
sculpture began. Several coats of Sherwin-Williams Pro-Line Y8004 pro-smooth
fairing compound were used to recreate the original cherry shape. A large,
local commercial and industrial painting contractor, Swanson & Youngdale,
performed this phase of the restoration. This portion of the project turned out
to be one of the most challenging, requiring the use of personnel with
experience similar to that encountered in high-end automotive bodywork.
Numerous layers of the fairing compound were applied in
light coats before being sanded. This process was repeated several times until
the final shape was accepted by Joe King, associate registrar of the Walker Art
Center who served as the project manager of the cherry’s refinishing. After the
final shape was accepted, the coating process began again. Another coat of
Sherwin-Williams SEAGUARD 5000 HS Epoxy was applied over the fairing compound
and the entire surface of the sculpture.
In late April, the cherry was finally ready to be painted
with a Sherwin-Williams Pro-Line Y7001 deep gloss linear polyurethane red
topcoat that was commissioned especially for the project and aptly named
“cherry red.” Two coats of red polyurethane were applied, and the cherry was
lightly re-sanded to remove any remaining surface imperfections or sanding
lines. After the final red topcoat application, a final inspection and
acceptance by King, the project manager, two coats of Y7001 linear polyurethane
(untinted) clear were applied to discourage fading and aging from exposure to
UV rays. The clear coat acts like a pair of sunglasses for the cherry. It helps
make the red color last longer, which is important with such an iconic piece.
Tim Williams, a National
Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)-certified Level 3 coatings inspector
at Braun Intertec, performed the failure analysis, designed the specifications
and oversaw the recoating of the “Spoonbrige and Cherry” sculpture, which is
displayed in Minneapolis.
Recoating a Symbol of a City
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