Conservation of Art

Articles> Caring For Your Art

Caring For Your Art Pt 2
Green Pebble October/November 2009 issue

In Green Pebble’s August issue, our article Caring For Your Art looked at how to care for, and hang, acrylic paintings and works on paper. It became clear from research being conducted by specialists such as the Institute of Conservation and the Tate AXA Art Modern Paints Project (TAAMPP), that the greatest threat to all works of art was the environment in which we placed them.

As this second part to our series demonstrates, we can introduce measures to minimize the impact the environment – and other factors such as framing, cleaning and transporting – have on our beloved art collections.

Oil Paintings
With oil paintings, relative humidity changes cause the materials in most paintings to expand and contract, causing the structure to become stressed and begin to fall apart. ‘Layers may crack, canvas may split, wood may split and paint flake off,’ warns the Institute Of Conservation (Icon).

Too much light can fade certain colours and will speed up the darkening of varnish. The more light there is on the painting, the faster the deterioration happens.

Hanging oils paintings
Icon advises the following for oil paintings:

Avoid hanging over direct heat or moisture sources.

Avoid hanging over or next to outdoor vents, or on damp walls.

Avoid hanging in rooms that are well heated in the winter (paintings on wood are the most vulnerable).

Picture lights attached to, or near to, the top of a painting can get hot and lead to localised heating. Take advice on lighting.

When framing or reframing an oil painting, ensure that the hanging fitments are fixed to the sides of the frame, not to the top. Choose a thick and solid part of the frame. Make sure screws are secure but do not push them through the front. Use good quality picture wire or medium gauge fishing line, run it double and remove any extra.

If you plan to attach an alarm, always fix it to the backs of frames or backboards, not to the back of the canvas or panel.

Photographs
Photographs are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures because this speeds up chemical deterioration such as fading and tarnishing/mirroring. Damp conditions can result in mould or discolouration, whilst very dry conditions can cause cracking and brittleness.

Hanging photographs
When investing in a photographic image, it is not simply a matter of popping the image into a frame. Poor-quality storage and framing materials emit pollutants which can cause chemical changes such as fading, discolouration and tarnishing, warns the Institute of Conservation.
Furthermore, ‘Poorly-designed storage and frames and inappropriate mounting techniques can cause physical damage such as tears and creases, staining from adhesive tapes, or photographs sticking to glass.’

Icon adds that some photographs (and their associated cases, frames, albums and boxes), are particularly susceptible to insect attack by silverfish, woodworm, booklice and carpet beetle. As a result, it worth investing in the best quality products, and ensuring that a specialist framer is consulted. Papers and boards used in frames or to make enclosures should be of a very high quality - they should be 100% cotton, unbuffered (i.e. pH neutral and not acid or alkaline) and free of impurities.

According to Icon, the most widely-used materials recommended in the museum world are: Argentia, Silversafe and pHoton™ papers for enclosures; Heritage 100% cotton TG off-white unbuffered museum board for mount boards; and Melinex (inert polyester) for when photographs require some form of plastic, although some grades of polyethylene and polypropylene are acceptable. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) should never be used and no plastic should include plasticiser (used to make the plastic flexible).

When handling the bare photograph, remember that the oils and dirt on our fingertips can cause long-term damage to the image, so hold it by its edges and get it framed as quickly as possible.
Further practical advice from the Institute includes:

Store photographs in a cool place. Heat speeds up deterioration.

Avoid fluctuations between damp and dry conditions. Aim for a stable environment.

Use ultraviolet filtering glazing to help protect photographs against the detrimental effects of light. Keep and display photographs in good quality storage and framing materials. Most photographs can be safely kept in paper enclosures; some can also be safely stored in some types of plastic enclosures. However, plastic is not suitable for hand-coloured prints, prints with surface damage, glass or metal-based photographs, nor for film-based negatives and transparencies from the 1950s, unless the latter are in cold storage.

General
When hanging any wall-based piece of art:

Avoid hanging paintings close to shelves, furniture or where people can knock them.

If you anticipate a high-risk situation such as a drinks party or having children to visit, TAAMPP’s publication Caring for Acrylics recommends having a Perspex box made to fit over the painting. It’s simple and means you don’t have to move the work off the wall.

Dirt and housekeeping
Just as your home collects dust, so your paintings will gradually become dirty. Icon advises that dust be removed from oil paintings using a very soft brush with metal elements protected so that they cannot be a cause of damage. A conservator or gallery owner will be able to tell you how, and will be able to guide you to the best brush for the job.

Do not use feather dusters or sheep skin dusters, however soft, as they ‘catch’ on the paint, and can accidentally damage the paint. It is always important to inspect the painting with a strong light before you commence dusting, and if you spot any flaking paint, dust or looseness, do not proceed. Consult a conservation specialist first.

In the case of dusting acrylic paintings, Caring for Acrylics recommends dusting once or twice a year. Dust them on a relatively cool day and remember to remove any jewellery and clothing that may rub against the paint. The best brush to use is a flat soft artist’s brush, 5 – 8 cm wide, with 5cm long hairs. For exact instruction on how to dust, Caring for Acrylics has step by step instructions.

If you anticipate building works or street repairs, consider removing the painting to temporary storage to spare it the unnecessary dust and dirt.

If your painting or photograph is behind glass, always spray your glass cleaner onto the cloth, not onto the glass, and remember to spray standing well away from your painting.

And whatever you do, do not attempt any repair or deep cleaning yourself. If you discover flakes of paint or pieces of the frame, collect these carefully into an envelope and bring them along with the painting to a conservation specialist. Hopefully they will be able to replace most of the pieces.

Storing Art
If you do not wish to put your prints, drawings and watercolours on display, the Icon recommends keeping them in a plan chest or a specially designed case such as a Solander box. By keeping them in a box you are protecting them from the environment – especially light and dirt. It is safe to place them in further protective folders inside the box. Boxes, folders and portfolios are available in conservation quality materials (inert and sometimes with an alkaline reserve) and should be stored horizontally.

Conservators recommend interleaving or wrapping small items in translucent acid-free tissue paper.

And avoid plastic sleeves. These are rarely suitable for storing works of art on paper.

‘When choosing a suitable storage area,’ continues the Institute, ‘bear in mind the need for a stable environment and avoid damp cellars and uninsulated attics.’

And remember, out-of-sight should never mean out-of-mind: check the items in storage regularly for indications of damage.

Handling and moving works of art
You are most likely to tear or dent your work of art when it is off the wall. If you plan ahead when moving paintings, these damages can usually be avoided.

‘For example, plan a move by making sure you have somewhere to put your painting before you move it; ideally, when off the wall, paintings should rest face out against a clear wall on a padded surface, away from doorways, furniture and passing people,’ states the Institute of Conservation on its website www.conservationregister.com.

Walk the route, suggests Caring for Acrylics, and visualize the problems that doorways and other obstacles may cause. If you are planning to move a large painting, be aware of ceilings, fans and lights.

Further tips include:

Clear a path and ensure you have foam blocks or cushions on which to rest the paintings at the beginning and end of their journey.

Clean and dry your hands before moving a painting.

Remove all jewellery and any lose or bulky clothing that may scratch the painting.

If the work is framed, check that the painting is fitted securely within its frame and then handle it by its frame. However, if the work is not framed or glazed, wear clean cotton or vinyl gloves.

‘While [finger grease] is not immediately apparent,’ explains Caring for Acrylics, ‘dirt will soon start to adhere preferentially to these areas and disfiguring finger marks will soon appear. Unfortunately, removing finger marks from acrylic emulsion paintings is an extremely difficult, occasionally impossible, and sometimes costly procedure.’

When carrying the painting, face it towards your body and use both hands, one to hold the edge and the other to support it from beneath.

When carrying an acrylic painting in particular, the authors of the publication recommend that you place your (gloved) hands along the outer edges and apply slight pressure inwards. ‘As your fingers grasp the edges, be careful that neither your fingertips nor palms are putting pressure on the front or reverse face of the canvas, and hold the painting away from your body.’

Paintings can be heavy. Do you need two people to carry it safely? It’s always best to consult professional art movers to assist. ‘However, if you choose to move the painting yourself,’ states Caring for Acrylics, ‘each person should place their hands along the side edges, with one hand close to the bottom…Communicate your movements to your fellow handlers and try to keep the painting as vertical as possible.’

Always test the weight of a painting before lifting it off the wall.

Touch works on paper as little as possible and keep your fingers away from the image. Pastel and charcoal drawings need extra care because the image may smudge.

Contemporary prints should not be handled directly either, because their immaculate paper is easily marked with oil and moisture from skin.

Finally, if you intend to transport your paintings from one venue to another, your insurance policy might demand that you use professional movers. And if you are in any doubt about the stability of the painting, consult a conservator to establish whether or not your painting is fit to travel.

When transporting a painting, it must not come into any contact whatsoever with the packing material. This is particularly true of acrylics, as packing materials can leave permanent impressions in the paint. As a result, consider having a ‘transit frame’ made for each painting.
Both Caring for Acrylics and Tate’s website, www.tate.org.uk/conservation/faqs, provide ‘Transit Frame Specification’ advise.

Having created the safest means of transporting your collection, where will the painting be stored in transit – in a hot warehouse or storage container? Acrylic emulsion paint films quickly become soft and tacky if it gets too hot. And if the storage space is likely to involve a drop in temperature, acrylic paint becomes brittle and prone to impact damage. Use a specialist transportation company that can provide controlled temperatures, especially if the painting is to be transported internationally.

Finally, if the painting is to be stored, think carefully about access. If other items need to be moved in order for you to reach the painting, the risk of damage grows. Label the packing frame. And if acrylic paintings need to be leaned together against a wall, advises Caring for Acrylics, it is best to prevent them from touching. Insert a sheet of stiff, acid free card or foam board between each work, ensuring the sheets are larger than each painting.

Details about the Tate AXA Art Modern Paints Project (TAAMPP) can be found by visiting www.axa-art.co.uk, go to the ‘Projects’ page, and then select the ‘Tate AXA Art Modern Paints Project’ tab on the left hand side of the page. The Institute of Conservation provides guidance on all conservation matters. See www.conservationregister.com for a comprehensive list of registered conservators or visit www.icon.org.uk for further information.

This article offers general guidance and is not intended to be a substitute for the professional advice of an accredited conservator. The Institute of Conservation would like to acknowledge use of the MGC publication Ours for Keeps in the preparation of its website-based advice. Green Pebble accepts no liability for any loss or damage which may arise if this guidance is followed.

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