Exterior Treatment of a Contemporary Sculpture
di Suvero Sculpture
San Francisco, CA

Mark di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born in Shanghai, China in 1933. He came to the United States in 1941, and his first port of entry in the United States was San Francisco’s Pier 40. He studied at San Francisco City College and later attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and Berkeley. His sculptures are mainly built from industrial I-beams that are welded and bolted together. He is a key figure in the developement of postwar American sculpture, and his artwork is featured in museums and outdoor public settings around the world.

“Sea Change” was constructed in 1995 as a 70-foot tall, 10-ton, elegant and kinetic sculpture to serve as a gateway to the refurbished South Waterfront of San Francisco. Over years of exposure to direct sunlight, the paint coatings blanched and, in some instances, failed, exposing the metal to the moist, salty sea air by the Bay and allowing for corrosion to occur.

ARG Conservation Services provided conservation treatment to the sculpture, including removal of debris, sanding all painted surfaces with a metal brush, applying an epoxy primer, and applying two surface coats to match the original color.