DECEMBER 2016 13
present in the fi bers of the paper or
in the water used in the papermak-
ing process. Th e acidity of papers
can be measured with a pH testing
pen, which can be purchased online
for less than $10.
A similarly brief look at the
history of inks is helpful regard-
ing the question of fading. Prior to
1900, most inks, including colored
inks, contained pigments resis-
tant to fading. Around the time of
World War I, aniline dye-based inks
became common. Th ese inks fade at
various rates—reds and yellows far
more rapidly than blues and blacks.
Th is means that materials printed
before 1900 are more likely to be
lightfast (resistant to fading) than
printed materials from the 20th and
21st centuries.
Simply coating or covering a
piece of acidic paper with acrylic
medium or any other sealant won’t
stop the paper from deteriorating
because the acid in the paper will
continue to destroy it. Th e following
practices, however, can help preserve
“modern” paper fragments used in
collage or mixed media works, or
reduce the fading of inks:
Collage or Assemblage?
Traditional defi nitions say that col-
lages are fl at and assemblages are
three dimensional, but some collage
artists include three-dimensional
elements in their works, blurring the
line that divides the two art forms.
Painting, collage, assemblage,
sculpture, performance, minimalist,
avant garde, conceptual, traditional,
modern, post-modern, revolutionary—
the works of Robert Rauschenberg,
Marisol, Banksy, Niki de Saint Phalle,
Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois,
Kurt Schwitters, Eva Hesse, Marcel
Duchamp and so many others do not
fi t comfortably into these categories.
Why should ours? Rather than cat-
egorize our creations, we should use
those materials that speak to us in
ways that celebrate our innate cre-
ative impulses and lead us to results
that surpass our original intentions
and expectations.
- Avoid acidic adhesives. Rubber
cement and transparent tape are
notorious for damaging and staining
papers. Better choices include clear
acrylic medium and neutral pH
PVA (polyvinyl acetate) adhesives,
such as Jade 403 or Lineco Neutral
pH Adhesive. Th e diff erence is
that acrylic mediums, once dry, are
waterproof, while PVA adhesives can
always be reactivated with water. But
while these adhesives won’t damage
the paper the way rubber cement will,
they won’t preserve the paper either.
- Add buffering agents to found
papers to reduce their acidity. One
way to do this is to use deacidifi ca-
tion solutions like Wei-T’o or Lineco
Bookkeeper Deacidifi cation Spray.
Note that these commercial solu-
tions can slow down additional dete-
rioration but won’t undo any damage
that has already been done.
- To counteract the fading of ink,
apply varnish containing ultraviolet-
light fi ltering agents to the fi nished
collage. Such varnishes are available
from Golden, Krylon and Winsor &
Newton. Golden Polymer Varnish
With UVLS (ultraviolet light sta-
bilizers) has the advantage of being
water-based and, therefore, easy to
remove for future conservation treat-
ments (its solvent is ammonia rather
than alcohol, which is the solvent
used in the medium many collage
artists use as an adhesive). Be sure to
apply an isolation layer of medium
before applying the varnish. Another
measure to prevent fading is to
frame the collage with ultraviolet
fi ltering glass or Plexiglas.
COLLAGES WITH STRINGS
ATTACHED
Q
I want to include lengths of string
or yarn or other such materials in
my collages and mixed media works.
How would you recommend I do this?
A
When applying string or yarn
in straight lines, stretch the
cord slightly, including a little extra
length on each end, and secure the
cord in place with pushpins. Th en
brush the adhesive of your choice
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