"Art Enemies"
ARTWORK IS VULNERABLE TO THE ELEMENTS (NATURAL AND UNNATURAL) AND OUR ONLY DEFENSE IS PROPER CARE.
Bob Keller
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The artwork that hangs on the walls of our homes, office and public spaces is under attack and the enemy is everywhere:...Air...Light...Water...Fire...Smoke...Cold...Heat...Time... Elbows...Spaghetti etc...You get the picture! Artwork is vulnerable to the elements (natural and unnatural) and our only defense is proper care.

FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
The first line of defense is to understand the enemies of art, the potential damages they can cause, and how to defend against the harm they can inflict. For example, fine art prints and photographs are extremely vulnerable to fading from the ultraviolet rays present in direct sunlight. These potent rays can irreparably damage artwork in a matter of days. Therefore, you should protect prints and photos by hanging them out of direct, indirect, and even reflected sunlight.

NATURAL ENEMIES
Temperature - Paints, ink, dyes and pigments on paper or canvas are very fragile and vulnerable to extreme temperature changes. Too much or too little heat can cause irreparable damage to artwork on canvas and paper. The ideal temperature for paintings and prints is 70 degrees. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can accelerate the deterioration of paper and canvas, while cold can cause the thick layers of paint on canvas to become brittle and crack.

Humidity - Humidity is the amount of moisture in the environment and is closely related to room heat. The ideal humidity for artwork is 50 percent. When the humidity level rises above 70 percent for prolonged periods paper mold and foxing (brown spots) may appear on paper. Extreme humidity in shower areas and sunrooms may also cause water stains and ripples in the paper

Insects - In dark, warm areas insects such as woodworms, silverfish, and termites can attack artwork. These little enemies can cause irreparable damage when they eat through wood frames, paper pulp, glues and canvas fabrics.

Light - Proper illumination is essential in order to view artwork. Many types of light, however, can permanently damage fine art prints, photos, watercolors, and posters. For example, the ultraviolet rays in direct, reflected, or indirect sunlight will fade colors within a mater of days (especially reds and warm colors) and can accelerate paper deterioration.

UNNATURAL ENEMIES
The fragile nature of artwork makes it vulnerable to virtually all imaginable forms of attack. A plate of spaghetti strategically splattered over a watercolor painting could refine the artist's composition in an unpleasant way. The careless release of a baseball in the living room could put a sizeable impression on your rare impressionist treasure.

Defensive Measures to Protect Your Artwork - Paintings and prints should never be hung over radiators, heating registers or air ducts. Heat damage can also occur by hanging artwork over a fireplace that is not properly insulated. Additionally, the soot and tar residue from the open fire can stick to the glass covering a print and eventually obscure the picture. It can yellow the varnish on the surface of a painting. Conversely, you should avoid hanging artwork on cold outside walls to prevent cracking and flaking of oil and acrylic paintings.
Avoid hanging artwork (especially prints) in high humidity environments such as steamy bathrooms, and in kitchens close to cooking surfaces. A dehumidifier is ideal to control moisture content in high humidity environments. Also, use spacer or bumpers on the backs of your artwork to allow air to circulate behind pictures and prevent a build-up of dust.
Do not hang prints in areas that receive direct morning or evening sunlight. Illuminate artwork with low voltage incandescent lighting that is lower in intensity than the room light and is mounted at least three to four feet from the artwork to avoid fading and heat build-up. In office environments, light damage from UV rays emitted by fluorescent lights can be filtered out using UV filter sleeves over the fluorescent tubes. Rotate art in the spring and store your valuable art in the summer months to protect it from intense summer light, heat and humidity.

Art Storage - Never store paintings and prints in damp basements or attics. The damage caused by extremes in temperature and humidity can be irreversible. Pack valuable works of art in acid free containers and store them in temperature and humidity controlled areas of your home, office, or commercial storage facility.

Cleaning - Art prints and photos require periodic cleaning to remove loose dust and surface grime on glass. For oil paintings, you can use a feather duster or artist brush. For cleaning the glass on prints: spray the glass cleaner onto a soft cloth, wipe the glass until it is clean, then use a second cloth to dry. Never spray glass cleaner directly onto the glass. It could seep under the glass and cause permanent staining on mats and artwork. Additionally, it is recommended that you leave the cleaning and restoration of damaged artwork caused by unnatural enemies such as spaghetti stains and baseball impressions to the art restoration and framing experts.

Surface Wounds - Most damage to artwork can be avoided through proper care. However, once the damage is done, those stains, creases, tears, and faded colors will have a devastating impact on the value of your artwork or worse, you may lose an art treasure family heirloom forever. In many cases discolored varnish, surface grime, torn canvas, flaking paint, and other damage can be reversed through professional restoration techniques. Professional repairs may be as simple as cleaning a painting with a surface cleaning agent or as complex and time consuming as relining a canvas, repairing tears or repainting areas that have suffered paint loss through flaking.

The enemy is among us in our attics, and in our basements, in our offices and public buildings, in our living rooms and yes, even in our bathrooms. It is within our power to fight those elusive enemies of art and together we can save the world, or at least save a few valuable art treasures for future generations to enjoy.

Bob Keller is a Gallery Director of Eclectic Art & Objects Gallery's two Pittsburgh locations (Emsworth and Design Zone) where he provides consultation to commercial and residential art buyers, and manages the Fine Art Publishing and artist marketing divisions.
Bob is a member of FAPA, PPFA and Industry member of ASID. For more questions relating to this article, contact Mr. Keller at 412-734-2099 at rkeller@eclecticartgallery.com