Artcare - Auckland Art Gallery
Artcare - Auckland Art Gallery Artcare - Auckland Art Gallery
Sound / Video Recordingsthe binder shedding a soft and gummy material which isleft on the tape heads and can make the tape unplayable.Hydrolysis also weakens the bond between the binderand the base, leading to shedding or detachment.Cellulose acetate tapes contain plasticisers and areprone to physical damage as a result of humidity/temperaturefluctuations. Cellulose acetate tapes also tendto break rather than stretch, due to plasticiser migration.The ‘Vinegar Syndrome’ is a chemical reactionwhere acetic acid is released as a by-product of thebreakdown of the acetate tape. It can be detected as anacetic acid (vinegar) odour. This is an autocatalyticreaction which will ‘infect’ healthy tapes.It is important to note that these chemical reactionshappen over time and that in an emergency, most tapescan sit in water for an extended period without fallingapart; they are hydrophobic (water-repellent) and thehydrolysis reaction is reversible. The exception isSoundmirror tapes, which are paper-based and shouldbe treated as paper materials.Heat—magnetic tape is thermoplastic and inflammable.High temperatures can distort and disfigure thetape and the tape containers.Dust—attracts moisture which can lead to thechemical reactions described under Water and Heat. Itcan also cause permanent scratches/abrasions to theoxide layer of the tape when played.Mould—tape binder on older tapes is susceptible tofungal growth. Fungicide is added to modern binder formulationsand prevents this.Shock and Magnetism—magnetic tape is also sensitiveto shocks/vibrations where the tape pack is loosened,exposing the edges to damage.Tapes should be kept away from strong magneticfields as these can partially or completely erase the content.Care and Handling—all tapes should be handled withcare as they are easily damaged by physical and magneticforces. Avoid exposing tapes to direct sunlight andkeep them away from heat sources.Keep tapes away from magnetic field sources suchas speakers, televisions and magnets. Avoid violentvibrations or shock. Avoid stacking tapes. Avoid touchingtape with your fingers.Do not leave tapes out of their containers when notin use. This includes leaving tapes in or on the taperecorder.Storage—store cassettes and videotapes in rewoundcondition. Store reel tapes ‘tails out’ (with the end of thetape at the beginning of the reel; that is, in the ‘played’state), at an even tension such as the ‘play’ tension on atape recorder.Shelve tapes upright in individual boxes. Replacedamaged boxes and spools. Keep the storage environmentfree of contaminants such as food, drink, smokeand dust.Magnetic tape is sensitive to rapidly changing climacticconditions. The climate must be stable and ideallykept at about 18 to 20°C and 40% relative humidity.Wax CylindersWax cylinders are very fragile and handling should bekept to a minimum. They are susceptible to mouldgrowth and should be kept in constant cool and dry conditions.30
PaintingsPaintings can be made of many differentmaterials but are composed primarily of apaint and a support layer. ‘Support’ is aterm used to describe the physical structurewhich holds or carries the ground or paintfilm of a painting. Wooden panels, cardboards,canvases, metals and any of the flatexpanses on which paintings can be made,fall into this category. Canvas usually requires an auxiliarysupport such as a stretcher to hold it flat.A preparatory layer between the support and paintis called the ‘ground’. Its purpose is to provide a textureand colour to work from, to seal the support to preventsoaking in and to protect the support from the acidicaction of some paint.The paint layers create the image and can be madeup from a variety of media such as oils, acrylics and eggtempera, with pigments added. In addition, glazes orvarnishes using different media may be applied and collageelements adhered.Paintings are considered separately from watercolours,which are covered in Works of Art on Paper.The types of materials that make up a painting and theirinteraction determines the kinds of damage to whichthey will be most susceptible.Causes of DeteriorationInherent Instability—the environment will have asignificant effect on the aging characteristics of a paintingbut the materials and techniques chosenby the artist are also a major contributingfactor. The materials used to make uppaintings will deteriorate as they age. Forexample, oil paint dries very slowly, becomingincreasingly hard and inflexible, makingit prone to cracking. Canvas, cardboard andparticle board supports will discolour andbecome increasingly brittle. Natural resin varnishes willdeteriorate making them increasingly insoluble and discoloured.Inherent instability can result from the use ofincompatible materials, such as occurs when mixing oiland acrylic paint, which will prevent proper drying. Theresultant surface will remain tacky and vulnerable todamage. A disfiguring ‘alligator pattern’ or ‘traction’cracking can develop when a lean, quick-drying oil layeris applied over a slow-drying, oil-rich layer.The choice of support for a particular paint layer isvery important, as problems will often occur if a thickinflexible paint or ground layer is applied to a thin flexiblecanvas or paper support with cracking as the result.The application of unstable surface coatings, such aspolyurethane which discolours rapidly and becomesinsoluble, will mean that the original tonal values of thework will eventually be irreversibly lost.Light—accelerates the deterioration of paint mediumsand can cause them to become chalky or crack. Itcan also cause the discoloration and crazing of varnish31
- Page 2 and 3: Preventative conservation is the mo
- Page 4 and 5: First published in 1986 byNorthern
- Page 6 and 7: shared enthusiasm for the project h
- Page 9: IntroductionAs in the original publ
- Page 13 and 14: The Museum EnvironmentControl of Re
- Page 15 and 16: The Museum EnvironmentSunlight (bec
- Page 17 and 18: The Museum Environmentto remain on
- Page 19 and 20: Paper: Works / Books / Archivesalso
- Page 21 and 22: Paper: Works / Books / Archiveswind
- Page 23 and 24: Paper: Works / Books / ArchivesA fe
- Page 25 and 26: Paper: Works / Books / Archivesbe a
- Page 27: Paper: Works / Books / ArchivesBook
- Page 30 and 31: Paper: Works / Books / Archivescust
- Page 32 and 33: Paper: Works / Books / ArchivesIf t
- Page 34 and 35: PhotographsPhotographs are most com
- Page 36 and 37: Photographsfasteners (staples, pape
- Page 38 and 39: Sound / Video RecordingsMost sound-
- Page 42 and 43: Paintingslayers. Exposure to light
- Page 44 and 45: Paintingsthat the picture holds it.
- Page 46 and 47: PaintingsOther varieties of hanging
- Page 48 and 49: PaintingsThe painting should be rol
- Page 50 and 51: Textiles / Basketrypadded hangercot
- Page 52 and 53: Textiles / BasketryStorage units ca
- Page 54 and 55: WoodWooden objects range in size fr
- Page 56 and 57: Bone / Ivory / TeethAlthough bone,
- Page 58 and 59: Ceramics / Glass / StoneMake certai
- Page 60 and 61: Metalsthe top of each other without
- Page 62 and 63: PlasticTemperature—as heat will a
- Page 64 and 65: Packing / Handlingare in good condi
- Page 66 and 67: Packing / HandlingA cutmaking a tra
- Page 68 and 69: Packing / HandlingIn packing framed
- Page 70 and 71: Packing / Handlingpacking paintings
- Page 72 and 73: SuppliersSuppliers of Conservation
- Page 74 and 75: SuppliersDW polyethylene enclosures
- Page 76 and 77: SuppliersManfred Frank LtdManfred F
- Page 78 and 79: Reading ListStolow, N., Conservatio
Sound / Video Recordingsthe binder shedding a soft and gummy material which isleft on the tape heads and can make the tape unplayable.Hydrolysis also weakens the bond between the binderand the base, leading to shedding or detachment.Cellulose acetate tapes contain plasticisers and areprone to physical damage as a result of humidity/temperaturefluctuations. Cellulose acetate tapes also tendto break rather than stretch, due to plasticiser migration.The ‘Vinegar Syndrome’ is a chemical reactionwhere acetic acid is released as a by-product of thebreakdown of the acetate tape. It can be detected as anacetic acid (vinegar) odour. This is an autocatalyticreaction which will ‘infect’ healthy tapes.It is important to note that these chemical reactionshappen over time and that in an emergency, most tapescan sit in water for an extended period without fallingapart; they are hydrophobic (water-repellent) and thehydrolysis reaction is reversible. The exception isSoundmirror tapes, which are paper-based and shouldbe treated as paper materials.Heat—magnetic tape is thermoplastic and inflammable.High temperatures can distort and disfigure thetape and the tape containers.Dust—attracts moisture which can lead to thechemical reactions described under Water and Heat. Itcan also cause permanent scratches/abrasions to theoxide layer of the tape when played.Mould—tape binder on older tapes is susceptible tofungal growth. Fungicide is added to modern binder formulationsand prevents this.Shock and Magnetism—magnetic tape is also sensitiveto shocks/vibrations where the tape pack is loosened,exposing the edges to damage.Tapes should be kept away from strong magneticfields as these can partially or completely erase the content.Care and Handling—all tapes should be handled withcare as they are easily damaged by physical and magneticforces. Avoid exposing tapes to direct sunlight andkeep them away from heat sources.Keep tapes away from magnetic field sources suchas speakers, televisions and magnets. Avoid violentvibrations or shock. Avoid stacking tapes. Avoid touchingtape with your fingers.Do not leave tapes out of their containers when notin use. This includes leaving tapes in or on the taperecorder.Storage—store cassettes and videotapes in rewoundcondition. Store reel tapes ‘tails out’ (with the end of thetape at the beginning of the reel; that is, in the ‘played’state), at an even tension such as the ‘play’ tension on atape recorder.Shelve tapes upright in individual boxes. Replacedamaged boxes and spools. Keep the storage environmentfree of contaminants such as food, drink, smokeand dust.Magnetic tape is sensitive to rapidly changing climacticconditions. The climate must be stable and ideallykept at about 18 to 20°C and 40% relative humidity.Wax CylindersWax cylinders are very fragile and handling should bekept to a minimum. They are susceptible to mouldgrowth and should be kept in constant cool and dry conditions.30
Change language