- SKU: 9780367513450
- BARCODE: 9780367513450
- VENDOR: BooksCloud
The Chemistry and Mechanism of Art Materials: Unsuspected Properties and Outcomes - Paperback
Couldn't load pickup availability
Description
by Michael J. Malin (Author)
This unique book presents an integrated approach to the chemistry of art materials, exploring the many chemical processes involved. The Chemistry and Mechanism of Art Materials: Unsuspected Properties and Outcomes engages readers with historical vignettes detailing examples of unexpected outcomes due to materials used by known artists.
The book discusses artists' materials focusing on relevant chemical mechanisms which underlie the synthesis and deterioration of inorganic pigments in paintings, the ageing of the binder in oil paintings, and sulfation of wall paintings as well as the toxicology of these pigments and solvents used by artists. Mechanisms illustrate the stepwise structural transformation of a variety of art materials.
Based on the author's years of experience teaching college chemistry, the approach is descriptive and non-mathematical throughout. An introductory section includes a review of basic concepts and provides concise descriptions of analytical methods used in contemporary art conservation.
Additional features include:
- Illustrations of chemical reactivity associated with art materials
- Includes a review of chemical bonding principles, redox and mechanism writing
- Covers analytical techniques used by art conservation scientists
- Accessible for readers with a limited science background
- Provides numerous references for readers seeking additional information
Author Biography
Michael Malin received a BS from City College of New York and a Ph.D. from Rutgers (Biochemistry). This was followed by postdoctorals at Rutgers (Organic) and then Brandeis (Bio-organic). He taught chemistry at Western Connecticut State College/University (16 years) and at Sarah Lawrence College (2 years). He covered courses in general, organic and biochemistry. At SLC, he taught a course in the chemistry of art materials, and this book came out of that experience. When not teaching, he was employed by Technicon Instruments Corporation/Bayer Diagnostics for 23 years. His role was generally to solve stability problems related to both liquid reagent formulations and machine parts in the development of automated blood analyzers. The scope of these problems varied widely; from the instability of a photo-polymerizable acrylic adhesive to the erosion of alumina shear valves. When he left industry, he resumed thinking about art materials, and found common chemical/mechanistic themes relating to stability problems. Eventually, this book was the result. His hobbies include: international travel, playing double bass in jazz groups, salsa dancing and cycling.
Reviews
Exceptional Support and Clean Code
I was impressed by how fast the support team responded to my questions. Even as someone with basic coding knowledge, I found the theme incredibly easy to work with. The code is well-organized, and everything runs smoothly.
Reliable Theme with Excellent Customer Service
After trying multiple themes, I finally chose Wokiee — and haven’t looked back. It’s reliable, modern, and easy to customize without coding. What impressed me most was their support team: fast, helpful, and willing to assist even with third-party issues. That level of service is rare!
Beautiful Design and Great Flexibility
Wokiee is hands down the best Shopify theme I’ve used. The design options are stunning and fully customizable. I was able to build a high-converting store without any external developers.
Top-Notch Support and Regular Updates
The customer support team is incredible — helpful, responsive, and very professional. They’ve helped me resolve everything from layout tweaks to app integrations. Plus, the theme is regularly updated with new features.
Amazing Customization Options"!
Wokiee gave me full creative control over my store’s layout and visuals. The theme’s design blocks are so flexible that I could create something truly unique — without touching a single line of code.
High-Quality Theme with Professional Code
You can tell Wokiee was built by pros. The code is clean and optimized for performance. No bloated features — just what you need. My store loads fast and looks great on all devices.