Restoration

Restoration of The Great Wall - Conditions

Working on a 1/2 mile of wall has been quite a challenge. Last week, the team lost two valuable work days due to the threat of flash flooding in the channel. The team is currently on its eight straight day of painting before the closure of the 405 forces us into a four-day weekend.

Temperatures in the channel are also unpredictable. The last two weeks have been very hot, but the last two days have been cool to fair and overcast. Water flow is also a cause for concern while working in the channel. On Monday, treated drinking water was unexpectedly released into the channel and team members were forced to evacuate until the water returned to a manageable level.

Preparing the Wall

Prior to putting paint on the wall, the surface must be scrubbed clean. For this, we give the wall a traditional bubble bath using soap and water. The wall currently has a spider infestation and spider webs make up the dirt and grime. Once a generous application of soap and water has been added, the wall is power washed with a hose.

Once the wall is dry, the real fun begins. Patches of visible concrete are "patched" with 207, a gloss that will help adhere the paint to the wall. When the 207 dries, the under-painting (a mixture of magenta paint and 206 gloss) is applied. Magenta is being used to insure that the paint has the same values. When I first started working on the wall, I was working on a section that had been entirely magenta'd. Due to sun glare, I suffered mild retinal burn; and this is why it is important to wear the proper tools while working a project of this scale: sunglasses (with grey lenses to avoid color loss while mixing color and painting), sunscreen, long pants and proper boots are a necessity.

Restoration vs. Conservation

Restoration vs. Conservation - what's the difference? Restoration is the act of restoring or reviving something to its former or original condition. Conservation is preserving the loss or keeping something from change. The Great Mural team is in the process of restoring the wall to its original brilliance. New information is also being added to the wall for additional clarity (something that will be discussed in another post).

Additional Posts

In my next post, there will be video from touring The Great Wall and a discussion of the importance of clarity in public art.

Comments and Questions

Comments and questions are always welcome.