War mural restoration at Hastings Library started by Italian fine art conservator

Art conservators [front], Carolina Izzo, and Maria Pagu, restoring the WW II Peter McIntyre mural at Hastings Library. Photo/Warren Buckland

A Hastings library mural designed and painted in 1959 by war artist Peter McIntyre is being restored by world-renowned Italian art restorer and conservator Carolina Izzo.

The mural is in the Hall of Memories at the Hastings War Memorial Library and depicts an assault by the joint branches of the armed forces of an unspecified beach.

Izzo's work on the mural began several years ago after a decision by the council to commit to a maintenance programme.

"I trained in Florence, and moved to New Zealand 20 years ago," she said.

"The regular maintenance of the mural is a huge commitment. The infiltration of water in '93 caused issues.

"The restoration was to stop the degradation. We came here every two years, this is my sixth year."

Art conservators work on the finer details of the WW II mural. Photo / Warren Buckland

The mural faces a big window so fading of the paint was a big problem, she said.

"We worked on the aesthetics of the mural, made sure there was no fading, no cracks.

"Every year two of our conservators return to Hastings to make sure the work is stable and that there are no degradation problems, that the mural is coping with any climate fluctuations, that the painted surface remains clean and free from any accretions, dust and dirt.

"The result of regular maintenance is that the future of the work is assured."

When she first started working on the mural, she said she couldn't believe how many people didn't know it existed.

"More people should come and see it."

She will be finishing the restoration tomorrow morning.

Izzo has worked and taught preventive conservation of cultural materials since completing her conservation training in Florence, Italy, in 1981.

In Italy, as managing director of a large team of professionals, she was involved in the consultation around collections belonging to the Italian State and various national and international institutions.

In 2001 she moved to New Zealand where she worked for six years as a painting conservator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, caring for art collections on loan and exhibitions.

Izzo collaborates with art professionals nationally and internationally.

She manages studios in Wellington and Auckland and also directs large- and small-scale projects on heritage buildings throughout New Zealand. She is also teaching associate at Victoria University of Wellington.