The Art of Preservation: Caring for Your Artwork
Whether you have been collecting for decades or just bought your first piece, the same thing is true: art needs looking after. Most of the damage I see in collections is not dramatic. It is slow, from dust, light, humidity and ordinary handling, and almost all of it is preventable. Five habits that make the difference.
Keep it clean, carefully
Dust settles on everything, and over years it dulls surfaces and works its way into textures. The rule is to clean the frame and the glazing, not the work itself. A soft, dry cloth or a clean soft brush on the frame and glass is enough. Never use household cleaners or anything with solvents near a work, and never wipe a painted, drawn or printed surface directly; if a work itself needs cleaning, that is a job for a conservator.
Handle it less, and handle it well
Most damage happens in transit: a corner knocked moving house, a canvas pressed through from behind, a print creased being slid into a drawer. Move work as rarely as you can, and when you do, hold a framed piece by the sides of the frame with both hands, never by the top edge or the hanging wire. Clean hands, or cotton or nitrile gloves, keep skin oils off surfaces and off unframed paper, which marks easily and permanently.
Keep it out of direct sun
Sunlight fades pigments and yellows paper, and the damage does not reverse. Photographs, works on paper and textiles are the most vulnerable, but nothing is immune. Hang work away from windows that get direct sun, and for anything you care about, frame with UV-filtering glass or acrylic. The difference over ten years is enormous.
Control the humidity
Swings in humidity make paper cockle, canvas slacken and tighten, wood panels crack, and in bad cases let mold start. The target is a stable 40 to 60 percent. Stability matters more than the exact number, so avoid hanging work above radiators, near air conditioning vents, in bathrooms, or on exterior walls that go cold. A small hygrometer tells you what you are dealing with, and a humidifier or dehumidifier fixes most problems. In Miami, that usually means the dehumidifier.
Store it properly
If a work comes off the wall for a while, store it the way a gallery would. Framed pieces stand upright, face to face and back to back, with a sheet of board between them, never stacked flat. Unframed works on paper go in acid-free folders or boxes, interleaved with archival tissue. Keep everything cool, dry and dark, and off the floor. Garages, attics and anywhere with a water pipe overhead are not storage.
When in doubt, ask
These habits prevent most problems. For anything that has already happened, a tear, flaking paint, foxing on paper, a water stain, do not try to fix it yourself. A conservator can usually do more than you would expect, and an amateur repair makes their job harder and the work worth less. Part of collection management at Basher Fine Art is knowing when a piece needs a conservator, and which one to call.