Sculptors, Artists, and Asbestos

Before the dangers of asbestos became well known, many artists and in particular sculptors, worked with asbestos containing materials. It was also found that a famous painter covered his work with asbestos after painting it, and although paint itself does not generally contain asbestos, other materials used by artists and painters such as pastels may have contained asbestos. Although unaware of the dangers of asbestos, this did not prevent these artists from contracting Mesothelioma.

Materials Used in Sculpture and Asbestos

Many of the materials that sculptors used contained asbestos, one in particular being soapstone. Soapstone is often found near asbestos naturally, and as such, before the soapstone was mined it would often become contaminated with asbestos. This meant that while sculptors were busy working on their sculpture, they were often exposed to large amounts of asbestos dust, which led to Mesothelioma. Today, manufacturers who sell soapstone to sculptors are a lot more careful to remove all traces of asbestos from the stone, and sculptors are also learning to take greater precautions during their work.

Other Art Materials Containing Asbestos

Apart from stone for sculpting, a number of other art materials have also contained asbestos in the past. These include children’s crayons, artists’ pastels, and some modeling clays. When these materials released dust into the air, and this asbestos dust was inhaled, it presented a danger to the user.