The nightmare of the artwork

When nightmare has reached your artworks

There’s a lot you’ve got to do in your life, works to be done, searching fun for life. You are busy and sometimes forget what you have in the art storeroom. One day, you found some weird stain or dirty mark appear on your precious art, some paper changes its color. You find out that it is mold, which can do enough damage. To left untreated, the mold can spread more. Let’s get to know them better to find the protection before your priceless works will be destroyed by mold. What are the causes of that?

Temperature

Most of Thailand’s temperature is hot all year round, but it comes with high humidity in the rainy season. Therefore, most dwellings and buildings are solid blocks to install air conditions to reduce heat, causing lacking a sufficiently good ventilation system due to your open only when using the room. When the whole room enters the intoxication state, without temperature control, no ventilation. When the whole room enters the dark, without temperature control, no ventilation. Humidity accumulates from a wall or some material and gradually release, create a very costly change to your work.

Material is matter

Materials that come with the work such as fabric, wood, the glue that weld the surface, frame, nails, and any materials that may cause mold. In the beginning, you may find there is no problem, until days have passed, the rain, sunlight, and accumulated humidity will reveal themselves, reacting to paper works and materials. Mold formed from a small spot and then expanded uncontrollably.

Damage from time

Not only the mold. As time passes, materials inevitably change physically until they become a source of deterioration. The paper is dry until the frame is bent and easily torn, and crooked. Some materials have cracks, etc. Humidity and temperature control are important. To be free from undesirable problems, you need to find the appropriate and safe space with a good ventilation and security system.

Dust
Ever wonder where the dust on your artwork comes from, even though the storage area is closed? Normally, there’s dust circulates in the air without being visible to the human eye. Or perhaps it may come with someone’s clothing. When they leave the room, dust may remain and can be caused mystery dust. If no one cleans the art storeroom, once you leaving it for a long time, dust accumulates and becomes thick to surprise you.

Pets
If you don’t hang or install all of your artworks on the wall. The cutie pet can sometimes turn into villains., they may leave unwanted stains such as urine or vomit in your storeroom to show its territory. And it would be unfortunate if they left the stains on a piece of art. Find a safe space to store your art, to avoid this problem.

Un uninvited guests
Not only a confined, dark, and cramped space. If humidity is high and accumulates long enough, there’s a favorable environment for insects or animals such as dirty rats, lizards, earthworms, birds, and many uninvited animals to migrate as habitats. Followed by a variety of unpredictable stains. These things can damage your work and require repairs or cleaning.

Safe your art from the nightmare

There’s no need to measure temperature or humidity at all times. What you should do is to prevent the problem from the beginning. Remember that killing mold is not solving the problem at the root cause. Let’s take a look at some basic tips you can do about mold prevention.

Touch with gentle

Wear gloves every time handling or touching the work directly. Especially the paper material that is fragile and delicate. To prevent dust, dirt, and natural oils from your skin.

The good air and the right place

Works should be controlled in an environment of optimal temperature, dry, not too hot or too humid. Away from direct sunlight, bring the work out in ventilated air circulation. Do not store in a constant temperature that looks damp, due to it’s the favorite place of the mold.

clothed the artwork with a coating

Lamination will help the painting to last longer and become more difficult to mold. Most of the time, artists prefer to coat their work with varnish when the paint is completely dry. And don’t forget that the coating is suitable for only some kind of artwork.

Remove the bad guy

If you see mold forming, use a brush to clean the surface gently. Wearing gloves and an N95 mask will best prevent the diffusion of mold into your body. Only some materials may use warm water, vinegar with water, or 70-90% alcohol to wipe off to get rid of mold on the surface, but It will not kill mold spores. Then use a white laundry detergent containing hypochlorite to wipe the moldy area. But it also depends on the texture of the canvas and then dried in the sun.

Need a doctor?

Some works must be taken only to conservationists. Due to it may be in a bad condition and unable to use store-bought materials or reagents to clean up by yourself. The conservationist is the doctor of the works of art, you should find the information first. Just like when you go to see the doctor.

Safehouse for work of art

Humidity and temperature control are important. To be free from undesirable problems, you need to find the appropriate and safe space with a good ventilation and security system. to prevent damages and no need to solve a problem later. Or if you need more advice, JWD Art Space is happy to give you a consultation.