Modern Paints
 

Modern paints close up. Photo: Emile Askey.

A selection of modern paints applied to Mylar, ready for testing. Photo: Dennis Keeley.

Paint samples applied to glass slides - made from paints left in Sam Francis' Santa Monica studio in 1994. Photo: Emile Askey.

Removing a tiny fragment of paint from a test sample in order to perform analytical testing. Photo: Dennis Keeley.

A selection of modern paints applied to glass slides and stored in racks, ready for testing. Photo: Dennis Keeley.

A selection of chemicals that are used as additives in many modern paints. Photo: Michael Schilling.

As temperature rises, acrylic paints become softer. Here, tissue paper has become stuck to the surface of an acrylic painting. Photo: Tom Learner.

Loading a fragment of acrylic paint into a Thermomechanical analyzer (TMA) - this can accurately measure how much a paint fim expands and contracts under varying temperatures. Photo: Dennis Keeley.

Test paints ready to be placed into a light chamber for accelerated ageing. Photo: Tom Learner ©Tate, London 2008.

Test cleaning an acrylic paint sample. Subsequent testing will determine whether the procedure has caused any changes to the film. Photo: Tom Learner ©Tate, London 2008.

A selection of modern paints. Each type is likely to require a different cleaning procedure. Photo: David Lambert ©Tate, London 2008.

Modern paints close up. Photo: Emile Askey.

Modern paints. Photo: Emile Askey.

Modern paints. Photo: Emile Askey.

Paints and brushes found in Sam Francis's Santa Monica studio. Photo: Aneta Zebala.

Paints found in Sam Francis's Santa Monica studio. Photo: Aneta Zebala.

Preparing paint samples: once the orange paint is squeezed out of the tube, it will be drawn down into a thin and uniform paint thickness, similar to the yellow sample next to it. Photo: Dennis Keeley.

Preparing "draw downs" of modern paints. Films of uniform thickness are essential for scientific testing in order to compare like with like. Photo: Dennis Keeley.