Art Addict

Care and Handling in Book Form

My friend Erin clued me in to a book she recommends to her students in her "Collecting Contemporary Art" class at the New School's Continuing Education Program. I've given you the highlights in the last three posts, but here are all the gory details:

Caring for Your Art: A Guide for Artists, Collectors, Galleries, and Art Institutions by Jill Snyder

Happy Reading!

Displaying Art

There are guidelines to hanging art like how high off the floor a work should hang, but before getting into those details, here are some top-shelf rules I go by. These may seem obvious at first, but I can't tell you how long it took me to figure some of these things out... the hard way.

DISPLAYING ART

Never hang or place artwork in direct sunlight. The sun is death to art. Photographs and drawings are particularly susceptible to fading. If you want to be extra protective of your artwork, rotate it as often as possible allowing for some time in dark spaces or storage.

Do not hang artwork in or near sources of heat or humidity, i.e., bathrooms, heaters, etc. No matter how well you think something is framed or protected, humidity will surely warp and damage most surfaces.

Do not leave artwork outside (unless it is designed for outdoor viewing). Basements and garages are not recommended places to store artwork because of exposure to inclement weather, humidity, and dampness.

Do not throw, dropkick, dribble, juggle, finger-spin, break-dance upon, or otherwise disrespect your artwork. Treat it like art, and you'll enjoy a long and fulfilling life together.

One last thank you to Tanya and Ben for your help!

Cleaning Art

If you are collecting paintings, photographs, framed drawings, and most sculpture made from a hard material - bronze, plastic, etc. - there are some basic rules to follow when cleaning your art. If the artwork is made out of something odd - chocolate, urine, blood, primordial ooze, etc. - make sure to contact the gallery from which you purchased it to learn about how to clean the work.

CLEANING ART

Avoid letting dust accumulate on artwork. When dusting your artwork, use a can of compressed air, or a very soft, non-abrasive, lint free cloth. Paper towels are a no-no because they can leave tiny scratches.

Use a plastic cleaner, not commercial glass cleaner, on Plexiglas. (I recommend Novus Plastic Clean & Shine). Apply the plastic cleaner with a soft non-abrasive cloth. NOTE: Spray the cleaning solution on the cloth, never directly onto glass or Plexiglas.

Keep artwork away from dogs, flying fish, cats, flying cats, ponies, potbellied pigs, ferrets, llamas, constricting snakes, lemurs, monkeys (flying or otherwise), and pretty much any and all animals exhibiting claws, feathers, hooves, fangs, bottomless curiosity, and/or opposable thumbs.

Thanks, again, to Tanya and Ben for all the creative juice they shared with me on this post!

Handling Art

Art is my passion. Collecting art is fun and fulfilling for me. I'm in it for the long haul, not just as decoration, so caring for art to make sure it will last my lifetime and beyond is a huge responsibility. Here are some tips I've picked up along the way on how to care for art:

HANDLING ART

When handling artwork, always try to use white art-handling cotton gloves. Never touch the surface of an unframed artwork without gloves; even clean hands leave a corrosive residue. To purchase art-handling gloves check your local art supply stores or click here.

Avoid damage to fragile edges and corners of artwork by padding the work during installation or hanging. Always use padding -- a blanket, bubble wrap, or foam -- when resting artwork on hard surfaces.

Never handle, move, or hang large works of art alone; you can easily damage the art. Or yourself. My foot broke the fall of a large photograph I was hanging alone once. I broke a toe. The art was spared.

When packing and storing artwork, always use stable, pH-neutral, archival materials. If you are unsure what that means, contact your local art store or framer and they will show you materials that fit these requirements.

This is a three-part post. Coming soon... Cleaning and Displaying tips.

Thank you Tanya and Ben for icons and wordsmithing!