《财富》500强平民英雄大盘点

    梅琳达•基夫博士：污损名画修复高手

    年龄：39岁

    职务：陶氏化学高级研究科学家

    任职公司：陶氏化学

    地理位置：科利奇维尔，宾夕法尼亚州

    2012年，一位文化艺术破坏者用黑色涂鸦墨水，蓄意损毁了伦敦泰特现代美术馆（Tate Modern gallery）内收藏的一幅马克•罗斯科的绘画作品。黑色涂鸦墨水是艺术保护主义者的死敌。造成破坏的涂鸦渗透了多个绘画层，一直渗入到帆布上。梅琳达•基夫说：“我们需要一种溶剂，既能清除墨水，又不会损坏其他绘画层。”基夫一直致力于染料和涂料的研发工作。幸运的是，她有一个得天独厚的优势，来减少这种犯罪。2008年，基夫发起了由陶氏化学、泰特现代美术馆和盖蒂保护研究所（Getty Conservation Institute）参与的合作项目，旨在研究修复现代艺术作品更有效的解决方案。她很快便开始测试各种可行的溶剂，其中包括艺术品保护领域并不常见的一种溶剂——乳酸乙酯，而正是这种溶剂最终帮助她解决了问题。今年五月，经过修复的《黑色和栗色》（Black on Maroon）终于在泰特现代美术馆重见天日。

    Melinda Keefe, Ph.D.

    Age 39

    Occupation Dow Senior Research Scientist

    Company Dow Chemical

    Location Collegeville, Pa.

    In 2012 a vandal marred a Mark Rothko painting in London’s Tate Modern gallery with black graffiti ink, a mortal enemy for art conservationists. The damaging scrawl had permeated multiple fragile layers of paint, soaking all the way through the canvas. “We needed a solvent that would remove the ink and not harm those other paint layers,” says Melinda Keefe, a chemist who specializes in the development of paints and coatings. Fortunately, she was in a unique position to mitigate the crime. In 2008 Keefe spearheaded a partnership between Dow, the Tate, and the Getty Conservation Institute to come up with better solutions for restoring modern art, and she was quickly able to test possible solvents—including an unusual one for the art conservation field called ethyl lactate that ultimately helped do the trick. The restored “Black on Maroon” was unveiled at the Tate in May, once again back on view for the world.