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Terms like “acid-free” and “archival” are tossed around fairly often in the art world, but what do they really mean? And how can you be sure that the materials in closest contact with your precious artwork won’t do harm over time? Well, you can start by consulting your friendly neighborhood custom picture framer!
This piece was framed decades ago with acidic matting and backing. Don’t let this happen to YOUR art!
Mats serve several purposes within a framing package. Visually, a mat creates a field between the artwork and the frame to give the viewer’s eye a resting space. Simply put, they help your art look great. And to be frank, looking great is a pretty important aspect in displaying your artwork. Mats can be the unifying factor that coordinates artwork and décor, or the “WOW” that distinguishes it. Mats can impart a greater physical presence on a smaller piece, or be a subtle contrast on a float mount. Mats are rarely a bad idea and we’re always eager to play with colors.
Less exciting but more important is the actual physical function that a mat performs. A matboard creates a small airspace that keeps your artwork from being in direct contact with the glazing, and having your valuable artwork against traditional glass isn’t archivally acceptable. Matboards come in a variety of grades, so let’s go over what differentiates them.
GOOD
Many mats are made from wood pulp, which contains a plant material known as lignin. Over time this lignin will break down and oxidize, becoming acidic, and migrate to whatever it is in contact with. In this case, your precious artwork. To offset this process, an alkaline buffer (usually calcium carbonate) may be added during the manufacturing process. This helps to neutralize the acids that are created as the lignin breaks down. However, this is only a temporary fix as ultimately the buffer will be depleted and the lignin will oxidize and become harmfully acidic. Due to this, these mats are NOT recommended for art of any significant value, be it monetary or sentimental.
BETTER
A better option is an alpha-cellulose mat. These mats are still made from wood pulp, but the potentially damaging lignin has been removed. Many of these lignin free boards still include an alkaline buffer as an added measure of protection against acid migration and atmospheric pollutants. These mats ARE acceptable for use in preservation framing.
BEST
Rag mats are made from pure 100% cotton fiber. They are naturally completely free of acids and lignin. As with alpha-cellulose mats, a buffer may still be added to prevent migrating acids from other sources. Rag mats are simply the best. Better than all the rest.
Even after all of these precautions, some mats still may have other potentially damaging components. The whitest of white paper and matboards are achieved using chemical compounds known as an optical brightening agents, or “OBAs”. These brighteners are added during the manufacturing process and absorb light rays in the ultraviolet spectrum. As a result, your eye is fooled into seeing a very bright white. However, these compounds break down over time, and what was once visually bright white will begin to appear yellow. OBA compounds are generally not considered appropriate for fine art, so we do not recommended these products for archival or conservation framing. Thankfully, with the use of a UV flashlight we can easily tell which of these matboards contain any brightening agents and choose the correct option for your project.
There’s a lot of science that goes into framing. We’re here to advise on best practices, thus leaving you free to just have fun picking out colors. Whether you’re starting from scratch on a new piece or replacing dated matting on an existing piece, we’ll help you make the right choice for your project.
So you have a treasured heirloom or costly investment you’d like to preserve and display? But you’ve already spent enough money on the item that the additional cost of custom framing just isn’t in the budget? Since art isn’t meant to be just stored in a box under the bed, here is a simple solution to help you enjoy your item while retaining its value.
With archival framing, our goal is to create a sealed package for your work where no harmful elements exist, and barriers are in place to guard against external pollutants. In this economical scenario we’re a little more concerned with the “preserve” aspect than the “display” part of custom framing, so some of the more decorative elements like mats and fillets will be omitted.
Starting from the front, glass in direct contact with nearly anything is a bad idea. Photographs may stick to glazing or leave a ghostly image behind. Condensation can occur during temperature and humidity changes and moisture may accumulate inside the glass leaving watermarks on artwork if a critical dew point is reached. Acrylic glazing, however, possesses different thermal properties and is a much safer option for the “Direct Contact Overlay” (DCO) framing method. This DCO is a generally accepted practice within the museum and collector community, and is suitable for many types of flat paper-based artwork. And in our scenario of archival framing on a budget, the best glazing option will be UV-filtering acrylic. This specially formulated glazing will block 99% of the light’s damaging UV rays. However, it is worth noting that 99% isn’t 100%, and even that pesky little 1% of UV light that makes its way through will still degrade your item over a long period of time, especially if it is hanging in direct sunlight. (It is very important to note that this method is NOT suitable for charcoal or pastel drawings. Many acrylics can carry a static charge which will lift the charcoal from the paper.)
The other component to consider is the backing – what the artwork itself will be placed on. An acid-free and archival foam board will keep your artwork supported and ready to display, and the absence of harmful materials will keep it in its best condition. We’re essentially creating an archival and acid-free sandwich where the only components in contact with your art (the acrylic and the archival foamboard) will be of no threat to your item for long term display. This concept is similar to the small plastic sleeves that valuable baseball cards are stored in. Now we’ll line your frame with aluminum barrier tape, finish fitting the piece, and we’ve completed your archival package economically with very few materials.
This is a simple, safe, and minimal method to display many types of artwork but certainly not all. Please consult with your framer at Custom Picture Framer of Glenside to ensure that each of you are making the correct decisions in preserving your valued works on paper.
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Through the millennia, artists have used their talents to reflect the human condition surrounding them. Benton Spruance (1904 – 1967) was a pioneering lithographer whose body of work spans roughly 50 years. He regularly referenced classical myths, bible verse, and the politics of the times in works focusing on philosophy and life’s meaning. Alvaro Naddeo (born 1972) is a Brazilian artist currently working out of Los Angeles. His aesthetic focuses on waste, overconsumption, and social inequality. Alvaro regularly depicts the fantastical reuse of discarded items – objects with an inherent duality, both desirable and despicable. Two different styles, two different times, the same human struggles.
Check out T.W.I.G.! We’ll be featuring artists for month long exhibition throughout the year.
Working with art every day, it’s easy for us to take these visual gifts for granted. In this business, we understand the reasoning behind “just putting something on the wall” to brighten up a space and make it more inviting. But being passionate about what we do means delving into the people behind the art. We want to explore their body of work, and the message it brings. That’s why we’ve decided to share some of our favorite works, and encourage you to learn, enjoy, and collect. Please CLICK HERE to see Alvaro Naddeo’s website, and CLICK HERE to see the vast body of work Benton Spruance created during his lifetime.
Through August of 2019, enjoy select works from Benton M Spruance and Alvaro Nadeo.
Custom Picture Framer is proud to present T.W.I.G., our storefront gallery and exhibition space located in Keswick Village (N. Keswick Avenue between N. Easton Road & Abington Avenue, Glenside, PA 19038). We’ll be featuring national and local artists throughout the year, so be sure to check back each month to see new and exciting work from members of the creative community. Are you an artist interested in displaying your work? We’d love to offer you the opportunity to have a T.W.I.G. show! Please CLICK HERE for more information.
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