Collages Built to Last
For well-constructed collages that will weather the years, know your
options for choosing papers and for securing strings or yarns.
Q
I want to use repurposed papers in my collages. Is
there some way I can treat them to keep them from
deteriorating?
A
Among the things the artist should consider when
using repurposed papers are the eff ects that light
and adhesives may have on those papers. Specifi c con-
cerns include whether the papers will be likely to disinte-
grate or discolor when exposed to light and whether the
inks will be likely to fade. If any of these developments
is likely, what can be done to preserve at-risk papers?
A brief look at the history of papermaking
creates a context for assessing the possibility of
disintegration or discoloration due
to light exposure. Almost all papers
made prior to 1850 were made of
cotton and are essentially acid free.
Th ey are, therefore, likely to be
resistant to the damaging eff ects of
light. Since 1850, most papers have
been made of wood pulp and, being
acidic, will discolor and become
brittle with time. Since the 1960s,
alkaline buff ering agents have been
added to some modern wood-pulp
papers to counteract any acids
Ask the Experts
By Jonathan Talbot
ABOVE: The papers I
used in A Family Man
(paper, thread, acrylic
and copper pigment on
museum board mount-
ed on watercolor paper,
7x9) include a fragment
from the 1830 edition
of Thomas Malthus’s
Essay on the Principle of
Population. Most papers
manufactured before
1850 are acid free;
most inks created be-
fore 1900 are colorfast.12 artistsmagazine.com
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