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/Art PreservationArt Preservation
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How healthy are your art works?
A valuable or cherished art work or keepsake can be preserved so that it retains its value and will be in good condition into the distant future.
In our 27 years of dealing with and framing art, we are constantly amazed by the poor condition that some art works have descended into.
Often the art work or photo has been inherited or just discovered out in the garage and salvaged just before the next hard waste collection!!
The good news is that the look and long term life expectance AND its long term value can be greatly enhanced with skilled conservation and restoration.
While restoration can be a costly exercise particularly for valuable works, it need not always be expensive. We of course need to examine each individual art work but often an old grimy oil painting can be cleaned and re varnished giving it a brilliant new lease of life for around $100 to $150 on a say, 30 x 40 cm painting. You can bring the work in for us to quote, or simply email a few images and include any relevant data, such as medium (oil, water colour, pastel, print, etc,) size, age, noted damage, approx budget, etc and will give you an estimated cost.
For valuable works we have an extremely competent art restorer (with an intense interest in the provenance of the work.) Not only will she source replacement materials-paper, fabric, bark, etc-but in many cases will present the excited recipient of the newly restored item with a detailed history of the art work and its artist. There is considerable technology involved in art restoration. All effective art conservation and restoration ultimately depend upon the restorer's understanding of materials, technical craftsmanship, and aesthetic and historical awareness.
Photographic Restoration
Old photographs can be copied and retouched using computer technology. We advise making a few copies, and framing a copy and putting the original away out of day light. If you wish we can place the original and digital copy burnt onto a CD or memory stick into the back of the frame. Thus encapsulated, it is preserved for the future. It is a good idea to then note on the back of the frame that the original is encapsulated inside, and to write a "legacy" of the history of the photograph. Your great grand children will thank you for that!!
Conservation Framing
Whether it be a newly acquired art work, an inherited piece of art, a sentimental keepsake or an investment in art, the question of correctly framing and preserving the piece is relevant. The above image (compliments of Art Reproductions UK) is a good example of how poor preservation destroys art work. The optimum solution is to frame the art work to high conservation standards.
If you are not local to our Malvern location it would serve you well to know a little about the techniques of conservation framing or at least be able to ask sensible questions and from the answers, or lack there of, determine whether you would entrust your valuable or cherished work to the picture framer.
In June 2010 the Professional Picture Framers’ Association held a conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre to discuss this subject.
It discussed the shortsightedness of investing in art while failing to acknowledge that proper conservation was the only way to preserve its looks and value. ”Delegates told horror stories of framers guaranteeing a short life for valuable art works by using glue, staples and buffered matt boards instead of more expensive but effective materials.” As reported in The Age in June 2010.
If you are about to acquire or already own valuable or investment art, irreplaceable memorabilia, or posses art works already framed, it may well be worth your while having a professional framer examine it and advise on the quality of the framing.
Some of the key questions that should be asked before proceeding with framing should include questions regarding;
Quality of the materials actually touching the art work, including the backing and the cardboard border (matting.) These materials should be acid free, with the matting and backing board of museum standards. To quote one of our suppliers, “Cotton rag mat board was designed specifically for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the late 1920s. Today, virtually all museums and libraries rely on cotton rag mat board, often referred to as museum board.” It is important to satisfy yourself that the framer is using the correct product for the artwork being framed.
The method by which the art work is attached to the aid free materials is also important. More valuable works should be suspended using acid free hinges.
UV sunlight and to a lesser degree internal lighting is probably the greatest destroyer of artwork. You should avoid hanging valuable art in direct sunlight. It causes weakening and discoloration of paper fibers. It also causes many dyes and pigments to fade or change in colour. The damage from light is not reversible. Faded pigments can not be put back and light burn will unevenly stain paper. We advise a high quality light filtration to avoid UV light damage to art. To quote our picture framing glass and Perspex supplier, “Tru Vue offers glazing solutions for every business, from basic images which may require premium clear glass, to the most valuable of artwork which would require the highest possible UV protection & clarity.”
If your line of questioning is met with blank stares or mild irritation, or perhaps a condescending response, and you get the feeling “I should not have asked that question” may I suggest that you take your art work and your line of questioning to another establishment!! Or call us to organize an inspection/collection.
In House Inspection
If practical we can organize a home or office call, please call or email to make arrangements.
Below is a recent art work that we cleaned, re varnished, and re framed.
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