Apr 14, 2021 07:03 PM
https://www.studyfinds.org/save-street-a...-graffiti/
INTRO: Walk along a busy city street long enough and the chances are high of running into some street art. Some famous, or in some cases infamous, artists (like Banksy) even contribute to these colorful scenes. Unfortunately, as street art has become more common, many vandals have taken it upon to themselves to make some unsavory additions of their own. Making matters worse, attempts at removing the graffiti usually end up destroying the underlying artwork as well. Luckily, researchers say there’s now a novel and eco-friendly way to quickly and safely remove graffiti from street art.
“For decades, we have focused on cleaning or restoring classical artworks that used paints designed to last centuries,” says Piero Baglioni, Ph.D., the project’s principal investigator, in a media release. “In contrast, modern art and street art, as well as the coatings and graffiti applied on top, use materials that were never intended to stand the test of time.”
The research team designed a “nanostructured” fluid based on non-toxic solvents and surfactants. This fluid is full of highly retentive hydrogels that slowly release cleaning agents to just the top layer of a surface. Therefore, it’s capable of removing an undesirable top layer (such as graffiti) within a matter of seconds to minutes. Even better, the process keeps the original artwork intact... (MORE)
INTRO: Walk along a busy city street long enough and the chances are high of running into some street art. Some famous, or in some cases infamous, artists (like Banksy) even contribute to these colorful scenes. Unfortunately, as street art has become more common, many vandals have taken it upon to themselves to make some unsavory additions of their own. Making matters worse, attempts at removing the graffiti usually end up destroying the underlying artwork as well. Luckily, researchers say there’s now a novel and eco-friendly way to quickly and safely remove graffiti from street art.
“For decades, we have focused on cleaning or restoring classical artworks that used paints designed to last centuries,” says Piero Baglioni, Ph.D., the project’s principal investigator, in a media release. “In contrast, modern art and street art, as well as the coatings and graffiti applied on top, use materials that were never intended to stand the test of time.”
The research team designed a “nanostructured” fluid based on non-toxic solvents and surfactants. This fluid is full of highly retentive hydrogels that slowly release cleaning agents to just the top layer of a surface. Therefore, it’s capable of removing an undesirable top layer (such as graffiti) within a matter of seconds to minutes. Even better, the process keeps the original artwork intact... (MORE)