Tate has thirty eight sculptures in its collection which are located outdoors. Twenty two of these are on Tate sites, with the majority at the Barbara Hepworth Museum in St Ives, Cornwall. The remainder are on long-term loan to a variety of public spaces such as parks, hospitals and museums.
Most of Tate's outdoor sculptures are made from bronze, but several include other materials such as stone, cast iron, steel and stainless steel. Tate's sculpture conservators operate a maintenance program for these sculptures, tailored to individual works to protect them while on outdoor display. Although it is impossible to completely halt changes to sculptures which are displayed outdoors, a regular maintenance program is essential to protect the works from significant deterioration caused by atmospheric pollution. We continually monitor the condition of these works and document all treatments carried out on them. Fig.1 illustrates the use of hot wax to protect an outdoor bronze.
Derek Pullen, Head of Sculpture Conservation
February 2007
