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THE COMPLETE
GUIDE TO
LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
How to Identify, Invest & Care for Your Collection
by: Jay Brown |
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Knowing What Can Be Restored
Even with the most talented doctors and the
most advanced technology, the patient assumes an element of risk when undergoing
open-heart surgery. At any time during the operation the patient might be lost
if the doctor slips with the scalpel or if some unanticipated reaction occurs.
Print restoration is no different.
Some of the most common problems that restorers face
are: acid-burn, removal of tape hinges, mildew, smoke damage and rippling from
humidity. Most of these can be repaired when caught early.
Acid-burn is the yellowing that occurs to a piece of
paper over time. It results from the acid content in the paper not being
properly neutralized. The burn can be from the print itself or the matting,
backing boards or any other acidic item used in the framing process or in the
packaging. Acid burn is treated with highly noxious chemicals. After the
procedure, the chemicals are rinsed out and the print is dried. Because of the
dangerous fumes that the chemicals give off, the work is done in specialized
chambers and the risks are greater to the technician than to the artwork itself.
Another very common problem that requires restoration
is the removal of tape hinges. Though not the preferred method of attaching a
print to matting, tape hinges have long been used by framers. Ideally the hinges
will be made of rice paper or an acid-free cloth to reduce the risk of
acid-burn. But the problem with the hinges is not normally acid-burn anyway. The
problem is the removal of the adhesive that is used to attach the hinges to the
art paper. If you’ve ever tried to remove a piece of tape from a piece of paper,
you know that it takes part of the paper with it, leaving a permanent abrasion.
The art restorer’s job is to remove the adhesive without leaving a mark.
If the adhesive has been rolled or pressed into the
paper, the job is much tougher. Imagine trying to lift a mustard stain out of
the fibers of a shirt. It’s similar to the way a restorer uses delicate solvents
to loosen the tape and carefully remove the adhesive.
Art restorers can also remove and kill off the mildew
that can appear if a print is exposed to excessive moisture. One way to
eliminate it is to put the work in sunlight, but that can lead to fading of the
inks and warping of the paper. Generally, a restorer will try to lift off the
mildew with a kneaded eraser then treat the print with chemicals.
Another restorable problem is smoke damage from a fire
or extensive exposure to cigarette or cigar smoke, which can leave a coating of
tar on the print. To fix the problem, a restorer will normally air the print out
and use a pounce bag to clean the surface.
Restorers also can improve, and sometimes fully repair,
prints that are rippling from humidity. To get the print to flatten out again,
moisture, pressure and weight are used to help the fibers realign themselves.
However, if the stretching is severe or prolonged, then the ripples can become
permanent and they cannot be removed completely.
A professional restorer can fix many other problems and
do general cleaning. Hopefully, by using reasonable care you’ll never need a
restorer. However, it’s nice to know that if a problem does arise, all is not
lost if you catch it early and consult an expert.
Finding a Professional Restorer
To find a professional art restorer, look in
the phone book under Art Services: Restoration, or call your local art gallery
or museum for a referral. Expect the costs to range from $100 for a small, easy
job to many hundreds of dollars depending on the severity of the problem.
If you are intent on having a piece of art restored,
then it’s likely a valuable piece of art or something with personal value, so
the cost might not be prohibitive. However, selecting a credible restorer can be
risky so always inquire about their training, experience and call a couple of
references to be safe before making a print risking decision.
Restoring to Mint Condition
Many restoration projects have a much
greater chance for success — removal of acid burn, mildew and tape hinges to
name a few. Other restoration projects are more risky. But even with less
complicated projects, until the process is finished, nobody can know for certain
if the result will be successful.
The true test is to wait until the restoration is
complete and then have the print examined by a professional gallery owner. The
print should be inspected front, back and sideways and if the examiner cannot
tell that the print didn’t just roll off the printing press, then the print can
be considered once again mint.
If you have a work of art that is in need of
restoration, it should be taken to a professional. A professional will test
every chemical before applying it. They’ll use Q-tips to test reactions to each
color and they’ll build from weaker chemicals up to more aggressive, riskier
chemicals as necessary to achieve the desired results. The result is more
dependent on the way the restorer understands and uses the chemicals than the
actual gracefulness of the restorer. And, even with the best restorer, the paper
and ink may play a part in the potential for a complete restoration.
Keep in mind that with most damage that is restorable,
the longer you wait to restore the work, the more risk there is that the damage
will become permanent. If you intend to have something restored, have it done
now instead of later. You greatly increase your chance of getting a mint
condition result.
In some cases, very little can be done. If you put a
hole in your print, then all a restorer can do is make a patch and the condition
and value will forever be less than mint.
Understanding Acid-Burn
Did you ever notice what happens to the
newspaper that you leave outside for a couple of days? It turns a brownish
yellow color. That is acid-burn and it can happen to your art print if you’re
not careful.
Most prints today are printed on high-quality paper
stock that is either acid-free or all-rag. An acid-free paper is a treated paper
made of wood pulp. Wood pulp is highly acidic before treatment. After the
treatment, the acid content is greatly reduced and the time the paper will
remain crisp and white is greatly increased. However, since there is still some
acid content in the paper, it can eventually revert back to its original content
and begin to yellow.
All-rag paper, on the other hand, is made from cotton.
Cotton has no acid and it should remain crisp and white forever. The problem is
that most cotton-based papers are very expensive.
There’s another way that acid-burn can affect a piece
of art paper. Perhaps there is an item touching the paper that is acidic — an
acidic mat, protective envelope or even a piece of supporting paperwork like a
biography card or the authentication papers. The acid in those items can bleed
through onto the art paper and stain it.
Acid-burn can be removed, but it is a very costly, and
sometimes risky, process. The best way to avoid it is to either frame the work
of art using all-rag matting and backing, or if the print is going to be stored
unframed, do so between two pieces of all-rag board.
The time it takes for acid-burn to become apparent can
vary depending on the situation. Given normal care, most prints can resist
acid-burn for about 10 years. However, certain elements like light can speed up
the process tremendously.
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