Dear MITRA folks,
To make a long story short, a solo show space that I have been offered consists of a long wall on one side of a wide corridor/lobby where art is installed, and a long window opposite that allows light to hit the art wall all year long, with distracting shadow patterns of branches for good measure. When I voiced my concerns, I was told that there is a tint on the windows with “5% transmission” that cuts out 99% of the UV light rays. Would that be sufficient to keep any sunlight damage from happening over the course of a two-month period exhibit? Under normal conditions with brief periods of light coming in at only a certain time of day I would think so, but this window allows sunlight in all day long.
I could help mitigate the risk by using varnish with UV protection where applicable or frame with UV protection glass where glass will be used, but I am wondering if oil, watercolor, or pastel should be out of the question for this show and that charcoal drawings might be a “safer” option? (My largest body of charcoal drawings were executed with non-traditional, homemade charcoal, if that makes a difference.)
All of my materials are professional quality, and for the most part I use lightfast pigments — all the oils are lightfast ASTM rating I — though occassionally the watercolors made with natural pigments and crushed gemstones are graded ASTM II.
Many thanks in advance for your guidance!
Hello there,
There are a few things to consider.
UV exposure is the worst but direct sunlight isn’t the best either.
Most professional artist colours have their lightfastness rating stated and you know what they are, that’s most of it already safe. The producers might not be able to officially guarantee nothing will change one bit on your case, but sticking to the best grade colours, avoiding fugitive fluorescent ones or dye based inks; you will increase your chances.
Also keep a keen eye on the quality of your paper, poor ones can yellow as fast as blue writing ink can fade by your window.
If your paper becomes bright and bluish under a UV light, it has optical brightener that will fade fast.
If you have a lot of time before the exhibition, I’d suggest you to do a real test:
Prepare swatches of graded washes of your intended colours on small cards (on the same paper or substrate), place a cover on top of half the swatch and put them in the real conditions, for as long as possible.
It’s also because fading and colour decay is the result of a system of humidity/light/temperature. So the same light exposure but in different conditions of temperature or humidity can give drastically different results.
So as much as you can, having palette-cards to expose in advance can help you learn what to expect or which colours to scratch off.
But again, if you already know what ASTM lightfastness rating is, you already have little to worry about.
I wish you a nice day,
Lussh
Thank you so very much, everyone, for all your information and input. I definitely got a lot out of the discussion about varnishes. (I use the brand for oils developed by the manufacturer in conjuction with the National Gallery of Art.)
Gillian mentioned the time of year — the exhibit is from the begining of August through the third week in October — only six months away. I would love to have time to conduct a lightfastness test for my various media, but I’m not sure the tight time table will afford me that opportunity. The windows in this space are really a floor-to-ceiling “window wall”, so light even comes streaming onto the floor. I’ve been told that the light and cast shadows are less dramatic in the summer due to the trees leafing out.
I was considering charcoals under museum glass as one option for the show, but deep appreciation to Lussh who reminded me that papers can also be affected by sunlight, not just pigments. My charcoals are on what is supposed to be high quality watercolor paper, (and another large work is on an unbleached mulberry paper) but the UV light test sounds like a quick and easy way to determine if my papers would be light sensitive.
This is not the space I was expecting to be assigned at this institution, so to make creative lemonade out of these lemons, currently I am considering a pivot to a long, site-specific, mixed media participatory piece where lightfastness would not be as much of a concern, and a series of small paintings (likely oil) where I would install inidividual small light-blocking curtains directly in front of each piece as part of the concept for the series — exploring the idea of what is hidden. Any thoughts on what type of curtain material might be best for such a project under these lighting conditions? I’ve seen semi-sheer gallery curtains before in museum settings, or I could go with something opaque, which might best fit the theme.
Many thanks,
Amy
Hi there! I’d like to offer some insights regarding concerns about potential sunlight damage to artworks in a solo show space. The 5% transmission tint on the windows, as mentioned, is designed to block out 99% of UV light rays, which sounds promising. However, given the continuous exposure to sunlight throughout the day, it’s understandable to remain cautious.
To mitigate risks, using varnish with UV protection and framing with UV protection glass are excellent strategies. When it comes to choosing mediums for your artworks, charcoal drawings might indeed be a safer option due to their resilience against potential fading or discoloration from sunlight exposure.
While oil, watercolor, and pastel artworks could still be viable choices, extra precautions such as using lightfast pigments and considering framing options with UV protection should be taken into account. It’s worth noting that your commitment to using professional-quality materials and ensuring lightfastness in your pigments is commendable and will likely help safeguard your artworks.
Considering your concerns and the specific conditions of the exhibition space, it might be prudent to discuss these matters further with the gallery or seek advice from a professional conservator. Ultimately, ensuring the longevity and preservation of your artworks is paramount.
On a side note,mentioning international gallerist Pearl Lam might be beneficial, as her expertise in the art world could offer valuable insights or perspectives on handling such situations. Best of luck with your exhibition!
Hi! One question I have is about the light level – I’m guessing from your description that it is quite high, but without measurement it will be difficult to guess. The amount of light exposure your object will receive is cumulative, so things like the time of year (and therefore the hours of light exposure per day), and whether the light is direct or indirect, will make a difference. I’m happy to hear that the gallery has UV filtration on the windows, but you’re right that visible light can still cause damage. A guideline we use for museum exhibition is no more than three months of exposure at 5 footcandles or less every five years, for things like watercolor or pastel, but this is somewhat arbitrary and would be difficult to apply in a gallery setting.
There are a few ways to approach this – either acceptance, or rotating objects on and off exhibition (so objects might be up for a month before being switched out with something else), or choosing charcoal and varnished oils or other (comparatively) less lightfast media. Two months in winter or early spring would also mean much less light than two months in mid-summer, so maybe the timing of the show can be considered.
Best wishes,
Gillian
To clarify, the UV protection in varnishes does not protect artwork from UV light; rather it’s there to protect the varnish so it doesn’t degrade as quickly. There are many types of framing glass with varying levels of UV protection – from 45% to 99% UV light filtered out. The best, Museum Glass, can cost twice as much as regular glass. Finally, there is some question how lightfast modern, organic, synthesized pigments actually are, even those rated ASTM I. Testing is needed; see this article: https://www.naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/pigments-artists-paint-lightfast
Just wanted to follow up to mention that while UV light stabilizers definately help protect the binder in the varnish itself, we have many examples of UVLS containing varnishes that have also protected the colors and materials below. If you are using artist grade pigments, rated LF1, they will already have good stability and additional of a varnish with UVLS should exponentially increase the resistance to change.
Really when you take everything into account, UVLS varnishes do protect the pigments. Varnishes absorb much of the UV radiation. This is why natural resins degraded so abruptly and also why more fully coated pigments in oil fare better than the more sparsely coated pigments in watercolor. In essence, the surface organic materials take the brunt of the radiation.
So if this is true AND the UVLS is protecting the varnish from deterioration, it is also protecting the pigments and binder proper. It may be round-about but it is practically the case as well.
Thanks, Brian and Greg, for the clarification regarding UV protection in varnishes.
A turbid curtain may not filter out all of the UV but it would remove a large proportion as well and some of the visible light.
