Caring For Your Art Investment

Image: Minal Shetty

When you buy art, you invest a significant sum of your money in these objects. This value will however not sustain and definitely not appreciate unless you look after the works and prevent damage caused by nature or carelessness. “Every thing on the earth is perishable and an art object is no exception to that,” says Prakash Kejriwal, owner of Chitrakoot Art Gallery in Mumbai.

It is very important to get advice from professionals on how to maintain your works well. Well-known art collector Ashwini Kakkar gets a professional restorer from Mumbai’s J.J. School of Art to inspect his portfolio. This is necessary because some damages are not visible to the untrained eye.

So we got art restorer Priya Khanna to share with us some general tips:
•    Always keep minimum light around your paintings and display your most valued artworks in areas that receive less direct or prolonged light.
•    Do not hang your paintings next to direct heat or moisture sources, outdoor vents, damp walls, unventilated rooms, air conditioners, coolers or fireplaces.
•    Use two pegs to hang the painting and secure it well. Make sure heavy paintings are supported at the base.
•    Store your un-stretched paintings flat but if it is too large for this, then have it stored rolled on an 8-10-inches-wide pipe. If there is more than one painting to be rolled, use foam and butter paper between them. Stack your framed works vertically.  
•    Check your works regularly and if you see any fungus growth (green, white or grey fluffy spots), separate them from other paintings so that the fungus does not spread. Immediately take it to a professional restorer.
•    Regularly dust your paintings with a soft cloth or soft brush. However, if the painting is flaking, do not dust it at all. If there is glass over the work, spray glass cleaner onto a cloth and wipe it every now and then.
•    If the polythene sheet over a painting or paper work gets stuck, do not remove it. Leave it to an expert.

And now for some tips on different media:
Canvas
•    A canvas should be kept in an area with a relative humidity range of 50 percent to 60 percent and at a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees Centigrade.
•    Canvases should not be framed with glass on top as they need to breathe. Even if you do put glass over, make sure it is a little away from the surface of the canvas.
•    Don’t hang an oil painting on the wall without protection at the back, because termites can attack easily.
•    Check canvases for fungus periodically.
•    Acrylic canvas paintings should periodically be wiped over with a damp cloth.

Paper and Photographs
•    Keep your paper works as far away from light sources as possible to avoid fading.
•    Paper gets easily damaged by fungus and insect attacks. Photo and paper works should always be in a glass frame. Photo prints on archival paper last longer.
•    Never use newspaper and cello tape on these works as they too have acidic properties which can spread to the work.
 
Sculpture
Wood
•    Insect attacks often happen with wooden objects and so you should regularly inspect the work.
Bronze
•    Bronze sculptures sometimes develop a greenish tinge (copper sulphate) which is only a little bit detrimental and can be cleaned off.
Marble
•    Do not make it a habit to clean your marble items with water too often as it gets dull.