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Storing painted art

Started by cloud cloddie,

57 posts in this topic

Bronty

Bronty

Posted
Posted
OK - first order of business…which cover did you pick up? I LOVE GK and Dell painted covers! :cloud9:

 

Bronty - I own a few Gold Key covers and I have them each in their own mylar sleeve. Each of these mylar sleeves is then in a sealed portfolio - no exposure to light whatsoever.

 

Personally, I would not want any paper that isn't 100% archival/acid free touching ANY of my art. It might be OK for shipping the art, but I would not trust it touching the art any longer than that.

 

I understand the theory behind what you're saying but it's too dangerous for my liking.

 

comic art boards aren't /weren't archival either. :gossip: I doubt the canvas most of the worlds great masterpieces are on is archival either.

 

No point in adding gasoline to the fire if you can help it.

 

 

I prefer to look at it as there being no point in worrying over something that doesn't need to be worried about, but whatever.

And there's also (maybe?) something to be said for letting the 24th century collectors worry about it then, instead of us fretting over it now. Sometimes good enough is...good enough.

 

My suggestion - WAX PAPER hinged from the back, fully covering the image area. I have numerous pieces protected in exactly that manner, direct from artists and estates going back fifty, sixty, seventy years...zero transfer or visible signs of deterioration. Oils, acrylics, collages, watercolors, charcoals, pencils...etc etc etc. All good. Lord knows what an electron microscope may reveal. But I can live with that ;)

 

Out of curiosity, where do you source large sheets of wax paper? If you have a 20 by 30 painting, where are you getting a 30" roll of that stuff? Just curious. Or maybe you are splicing together more than one piece?

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Bronty

Bronty

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Bottom line Gents: you are the current custodians of your art. If you feel comfortable storing your art a certain way - go for it.

 

 

I'm just going by what my eyes tell me here. I have hundreds of paintings, all 20-30 years old. A high percentage of which were stored this way, and which were orginally prepped this way when created. To say they look brand new is an understatement.

 

I understand ~25 years is not that long a time, but when they look a lot better condition wise than most 25 year old comic art, that tells me there really isn't a ton to freak out about. If you want to do it differently that's fine but I'm presenting a different POV, and rejecting the subtle implication that I am somehow an inadequate caretaker because I am not fretting about it.

 

I dare say your painting will look newer longer when covered by blackout paper that eliminates light exposure than if you frame it, even with the fancy glass. But again, I think the fancy glass is just fine and I'm not afraid to hang pieces for the minimal light exposure they will pick up. After all they have to be enjoyed at some point.

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Mephisto

Mephisto

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I figure ill be dead by the time light exposure affects it behind fancy glass so it won't be my problem them. A big reason I switched from comics to art was so I could see them everyday. Yeah you can frame comics and stick them on the wall but not worth it.

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vodou

vodou

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Out of curiosity, where do you source large sheets of wax paper? If you have a 20 by 30 painting, where are you getting a 30" roll of that stuff? Just curious. Or maybe you are splicing together more than one piece?

Several sheets, as you suggested. But I have pieces that came with huge sheets too. Never took the time to figure out if it's out there retail though.

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Bronty

Bronty

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FYI aelhra, fwiw I think this glassine paper or similar is what I am used to seeing as the first layer; this could work too.

 

Thanks for the link as I think I will get off my asz and order some, I have a bunch of paintings that could use it

 

for the more 'concerned' custodian its also acid-free, apparently :gossip: so there should be little or no damage therefrom

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BCarter27

BCarter27

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http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_13.htm

 

Just got in some of these MicroChamber gallery boxes for storing unframed stuff. Replacing a bunch of aged cardboard boxes feels good.

 

I also get my MicroChamber interleave sheets from these folks too.

 

Or if you need to go big, these aren't MicroChamber, but still very stable-

http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/single-gallery-print-storage-box-32-1-2-x-40-1-2-x-2-1-2/corrugated-storage-boxes/

These are 32"x 40" and great for storing posters as well.

 

 

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Bronty

Bronty

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thanks for sharing that, that's a really good link. How strong are they? Do they feel like they could handle a lot of weight.

 

I would suggest considering something with metal corner supports though if you are storing pieces on illustration board. They get heavy when stacked and need the corner strength

 

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_5.htm

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vodou

vodou

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thanks for sharing that, that's a really good link. How strong are they? Do they feel like they could handle a lot of weight.

 

I would suggest considering something with metal corner supports though if you are storing pieces on illustration board. They get heavy when stacked and need the corner strength

 

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_5.htm

Good links (above) and good critique Bronty. It's always puts a smile on my face, the way these storage things are offered/sold...as if the most likely customer has this dainty little collection of five to seven pieces :)

 

Has nobody mentioned to these guys the obsessive hoarding nature of true collectors?

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Bronty

Bronty

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thanks for sharing that, that's a really good link. How strong are they? Do they feel like they could handle a lot of weight.

 

I would suggest considering something with metal corner supports though if you are storing pieces on illustration board. They get heavy when stacked and need the corner strength

 

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_5.htm

Good links (above) and good critique Bronty. It's always puts a smile on my face, the way these storage things are offered/sold...as if the most likely customer has this dainty little collection of five to seven pieces :)

 

Has nobody mentioned to these guys the obsessive hoarding nature of true collectors?

 

 

heheh yes ;)

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BCarter27

BCarter27

Posted
Posted
thanks for sharing that, that's a really good link. How strong are they? Do they feel like they could handle a lot of weight.

 

I would suggest considering something with metal corner supports though if you are storing pieces on illustration board. They get heavy when stacked and need the corner strength

 

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_2/section2_5.htm

 

I tried the metal corners items you linked at one time, but they are a different material - more like a heavy pasteboard. However they are still very sturdy at small sizes, lighter, and more portable.

 

The ones I just got in are corrugated and are very robust. The top and the lid are both fold-to-build (like a comic box). So the sides end up being 4-pieces thick once you put the lid on. This is great for stacking.

 

However, with my 32"x40" I don't go more than 2 units high without a shelf in between because the weight makes the middle sag. By the time I get one of those loaded up with posters and interleave sheets (and I also put in archive foamcore spacers to act as dividers -- helps with browsing, just like a comic box) they are heavy enough to need two people to move.

 

Here are the interleave sheets-

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_11/section11_01.htm

 

One other nitpicky note about the corrugated vs pasteboard style gallery boxes: The corrugated have slots for the tabs to fit into when you build them. So, I like to wrap the whole box in a giant poly bag (from the art store -- when you buy the foamcore :-). This keeps the dust and any insects out of those holes. The pasteboard boxes are more "airtight", but knowing me, I would probably wrap them too.

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Bronty

Bronty

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that's good info too, thank you.

 

Was it the exact item I linked that you tried?

 

I ask because I bought similar looking corner reinforced boxes from Deeck Blick twice.

 

The first time, they were very sturdy. They remain in perfect condition. The second time what they shipped me was an inferior material. Perhaps that's the pasteboard you are talking about; not sure.

 

I just know that the quality difference was night & day :( and I'm looking to replace the ones I bought on the second go around.

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Bronty

Bronty

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Follow up question. The metal corner boxes you purchased that you were unhappy with.

 

Were they a single material (that's what my second purchase that I was unhappy with are like) or... one material on the outside (grey) and a different material on the inside (white). That's what my first batch was like.

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