Fine art conservation is a very important aspect of managing an art collection. As an art owner, you need to know all the risks and threats that your fine art objects sustain during storage. The experts of the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) have produced a comprehensive report on ten agents of deterioration that providers of artwork storage solutions should offset by all means.
What Deterioration Risks Can You Avoid with Expert Artwork Storage Solutions?
Now, what agents are regarded as the primary sources of fine art deterioration? The CCI experts have found the top ten risks for delicate and fragile artwork that every art storage provider and art collector should be aware of.
The first one is dissociation – this risk comes from improper artwork cataloging and record keeping. Dissociation means the loss of identifying information, such as provenance and authorship data, which complicates the process of further artwork identification.
Next comes fire and fire-related risks. While the irreversible damage that artwork will sustain in case of fire is self-obvious, CCI experts also caution against the deposition of smoke and soot on the artwork’s surfaces and the damage that sprinklers of the fire suppression system can cause to art objects.
Third, CCI pros warn against incorrect humidity in the storage facility; the RH level should stay within 40-60% to prevent quick artwork deterioration. The fourth risk is incorrect temperature, which may trigger hydrolysis and oxidation of the artwork. Fifth, it’s the damaging light spectrum, such as direct sunlight, UV light, and infrared light.
Next come the pests, which can damage textile and linen canvases in storage. A variety of insects and museum pests view precious artwork as a food source and cause severe damage to precious art objects. The seventh source of risk is a large spectrum of pollutants, such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. CCI experts also caution against the potential damage that physical forces (mechanical damage), thieves and vandals, and water (plumbing problems and condensate from air conditioning systems) can cause to artwork.
Protect Your Artwork from Deterioration with Fine Art Shippers
Fine Art Shippers offers one of the best artwork storage solutions available in NYC. Schedule a visit to our museum-grade storage facility in Upper Manhattan to see how we protect the assets entrusted to us from all the agents of deterioration discussed above. By working with us, you can ensure full safety for your fine art objects regardless of storage duration.