Alison Murray
Associate Professor, Conservation Science
Department of Art History and Art Conservation
Research Interests
Alison Murray is conducting a research program into the materials science and conservation applied to cultural heritage, including paintings, modern materials, and archaeological objects. Her research integrates information from mechanical testing data, chemical analysis, and surface analysis, with the goal of quantifying changes brought about by the cleaning process, ageing, and environmental conditions. At this time, Alison is collaborating with an international research group, studying metal ion migration mechanisms in oil painted surfaces. Another area of research is improving the teaching of science to art conservation students. For these different projects, she has worked with students from a variety of disciplines including conservation, conservation science, art history, the sciences and engineering. Alison is also co-editing two volumes, Failure Mechanisms in Picasso's Paintings, a Springer Nature Applied Sciences publication and Diagnosis – Before, During, After, Volume II of the series Conservation 360º.
Biography
Alison received her honours B.Sc. in Chemistry from McGill University and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She specialized in Conservation Science, offered in a joint program between Hopkins and the Smithsonian Institution. She is a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation.
Courses Taught
- ARTC 802- Properties of Materials
- ARTC 804 - Scientific Methods for the Conservator
- ARTC 808 - Instrumental Methods of Analysis
- ARTC 898 - Research Project
Recent Publications
Murray, Alison, Aaron Shugar, Rebecca Ploeger, and Kyna Biggs, Conservation Science Education Online – A Heritage Science Education Resource (Kingston: eCampusOntario, March 2024).
Murray, Alison & Kyna Biggs, “Teaching Science to Conservators: Challenges and Strategies,” In Di Pietro, G. & Broers, N. (eds.), Education and Pedagogy. Conservation 360º, (3), 239-279 (Valencia: Editorial Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, 2024).
Gnemmi, Margherita, Laura Fuster-Lòpez, Marion Mecklenburg, Alison Murray, Sarah Sands, Greg Watson and Francesca Caterina Izzo, “Ion Migration Mechanisms in the Early Stages of Drying and Degradation of Oil Paint Films,” npj (Nature Partner Journals) Materials Degradation 8, 63 (2024). .
Murray, Alison, Kyna Biggs, Aaron Shugar, Rebecca Ploeger, Erich Uffelman, , Stols-Witlox, Maartje, Gonzales, Patricia, Smith, G., Loubser, M., Laura Fuster López, Giovanna Di Pietro, Anupam Sah, Austin Nevin, Arzu Sardarli, Shuya Wei, & Edgar Casanova-González. (2023). “Conservation Science Education Online (CSEO) – A Heritage Science Resource,” Chemistry Teacher International (CTI). 5(3), 331-345 (2023).
Canham, Robin, Alison Murray, & Rosaleen Hill, “Some Practical Aspects of Nanocellulose Film: Characterization, Expansion and Shrinking Tests, and Techniques to Create Remoistenable Nanocellulose,” Restaurator, 44(3), 177-203 (2023).
Vila, A., & Murray, A. (eds.). Diagnosis: Before, During, After. CONSERVATION 360Âş, (2), 459. Editorial Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (2022).
Murray, Alison and Kyna Biggs, "Science in the Art Conservation Curriculum II: Views of Conservators," In Transcending Boundaries: Integrated Approaches to Conservation. ICOM-CC 19th Triennial Conference Preprints, Beijing, 17-21 May, 2021 (Paris: International Council of Museums, 2021).
Fuster-López, L., F.C. Izzo, C.K. Andersen, A. Murray, A. Vila, M. Picollo, L. Stefani, R. Jiménez & E. Aguado-Guardiola, "Picasso's 1917 Paint Materials and their Influence on the Condition of Four Paintings. Springer Nature (SN) Appl. Sci. 2, 2159 (2020). .
Vila, A., A. Murray, C.K. Andersen, F.C. Izzo, L. Fuster-López, E. Aguado-Guardiola, R. Jiménez-Garnica & A. Scharff, "Picasso 1917: An Insight into the Effects of Ground and Canvas in the Failure Mechanisms in Four Artworks," Conservation of Modern Oil Paintings, 245-253 (Switzerland: Springer Nature, 2019).