Framing & Shipping
Basic Information About Owning Artwork: Whether owned for the love of the piece, or as an investment, it’s always best to keep your Artwork out of direct, or strongly reflected, sunlight. Why? Sunlight interacts with pigment, regardless of the medium in which it is suspended*. This results in the colors “migrating”or mutating into other colors: yellows; reds and purples tend to fade fastest. For example: purple devolves into blue and yellow can fade altogether. Even archival materials are vulnerable to this form of premature decay. Sunlight can also alter the stability of paper, especially if it isn’t PhNeutral. If unprotected, foxing (little brown spots) appears and enlarges as the paper decays. This can be rectified, but is an expensive (and unguaranteed) procedure.
*i.e.: Pigment held in wax & clay or wax & oil = crayon or colored pencil, pigment suspended in linseed oil = oil paint, if suspended in egg yolk & oil = egg tempera, pigment with acrylic dispersion = acrylic paint, pigment mixed with kaolin clay = soft pastels, pigment plus gum arabic = watercolor & etc.
Framing: Things to consider:
- A frame should be as consistent with your furnishings as possible. Certainly any piece of art can fit into any decor, but the right picture frame can often serve as the conduit to make the art look- literally- quite “at home”.
- The right framing decisions can protect the longevity of your Artwork and your investment in quality framing.
- Archival materials:
- Mat board comes in varying thicknesses and (added) degrees of quality and expense, from Acid-free Lined to Museum board.
- Since picture frames should not touch the artwork directly, it would appear that their qualities would be primarily those of style and price. However some frames, particularly those made of compressed wooden materials, emit subtle gases which increase the yellowing, foxing and eventual disintegration of the matting and the (added) artwork.
- Plexiglass: Usually preferred since it doesn’t shatter when dropped, is much lighter than glass, and less expensive to ship (and insure). Like glass, plexi is now available with protection from UV rays -IF you ask for it. Major downsides: plexiglass scratches easily if mishandled- although it is easily mended- and also gets increasingly clouded if cleaned with ammonia products (think: Windex, etc)
