Material shortages pushed Soviet-era artists to creative solutions

Kumu painting conservator Polina Richter told ERR’s Raadio 2 that shortages and limited access to supplies during the Soviet era forced artists to find creative ways to work.

Richter is studying for a master’s degree in heritage protection and conservation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Her thesis examines the materials used in Soviet-era oil paintings, including the specific features of material use at the time and how artists obtained the supplies they needed.

According to Richter, artists mainly bought painting materials from a shop operated by the Artists’ Union. Supplies were limited, and artists could be allocated a fixed quantity of a particular colour.

“Very many people found quite interesting solutions because of the shortage of materials,” Richter said. She added that she had not heard of artists making their own pigments, although “someone may have got that far.”

Conservators use dentists’ tools

Richter’s work at Kumu, a museum, focuses mainly on preparing paintings for exhibitions. Many of the museum’s paintings have already been conserved, but some were restored decades ago and must be checked again before being displayed.

“Unfortunately, time does its work, so they have to be fixed up a little again for the exhibition,” she said.

Richter compares painting conservation with treating a patient. Conservators first establish a work’s history and current problems before choosing suitable methods to address them.

Four people work in Kumu’s painting department. The museum also has departments dealing with paper, sculpture and painting frames. The conservators’ workload varies throughout the year, with autumn and spring being the busiest periods because more exhibitions are prepared then.

Before an exhibition, conservators assess which works need preparation and whether there is enough time to restore all of them. The work also involves cooperation with curators, storage staff and other museum employees.

A conservator’s toolkit includes chemicals, grounds and paints. Richter said some of the most unusual tools are dentists’ instruments, which are useful for detailed work.

Every intervention must be carefully considered. For example, conservators first discuss whether removing old varnish is necessary.

“In general, varnish is also part of a painting. Since it yellows over time and undergoes various changes, it is necessary to look very carefully at whether it should be removed at all,” Richter said.

If the materials in a work are not sufficiently well understood, conservators take samples before beginning work. The samples may be examined under a microscope or sent to a laboratory.

Unexpected situations can also arise during conservation. Richter said such incidents were usually accidental and human, and that the team generally tried to find solutions together. “Since we are conservators, we also have to repair them ourselves,” she said.