by Ida Victoria Gustavson

Many people who move to Los Cabos bring along works of art that mean a lot to them. Sometimes in the transit, these works become damaged: glass broken, mouldings chipped, artwork knocked kitty wampas in the frame. They bring these beat up picture frames with their precious art to our custom frame studio for repair.

In order to fix it, Pete has to open the frame package to clean and make necessary repairs and is often horrified by what he sees, calling me to the frame shop with the digital camera to document the way the piece had been previously framed. We have seen fragile works on paper stapled, duct taped and glued to acid filled plywood boards and other supports. Not only is the art work being destroyed rapidly by the acidity of the products used, but the works can not be fixed with-out destroying them, so in essence bound for an early death. Pete has to call the client giving them the bad news that not only were their works of art not properly framed, but that they can not be fixed without being dam-aged. The client is usually shocked, saying they “had no idea, it looked great in the frame.”

There are really two parts to picture framing. What is on the outside and what is on the inside. The purpose of framing a work of art is not only to make the piece ready for wall hanging and to be aesthetically pleasing, but more important, picture framing is to protect the work of art from the elements. When the client comes in with their art, they rarely focus on the process of framing itself, being naturally more concerned with the finished look. Though it is not the client’s responsibility to make sure their works are being framed properly, it is essential for them to understand the importance of proper framing and ask questions to ensure their art will be handled properly and will last as long as possible. Because, lets be frank, a frame package can look beautiful from the outside whether it is done properly with archival materials and preservation standards followed, or just slapped together using a plywood or cardboard sup-port and duct tape.

When choosing how you want your piece framed, there are countless combinations to choose from, not only the hundreds of moulding choices, and matting choices but the actual frame package that will compliment and work in the best way possible to enhance your work of art. When working with a client Pete always starts by saying it is important to frame the work of art to match the art, not the couch or the drapes. This will guarantee that the picture frame will look its absolute best wherever it is placed.

Paper and textile art are two of the most fragile mediums in the art world and need to be treated so, whether you have decided to float the work to show off a deckled edge or want a triple mat to highlight certain color nuances. No matter the look you are going for there are certain standards that must be followed.

First, any material that will come in direct contact with your work of art needs to be acid free, this includes the matboards, the backing support and the tapes, papers or hinge glue used to hold the work in place. Anything that can be purchased in your local hardware store should not come into con-tact with your artwork.

The second thing to look for, is that anything used to mount or hold your art in place in the frame package should be reversible without leaving any residue or dam-age if it must be removed.

Third, works of art on paper need to be placed be-hind glass and UV protected glass most importantly. The key is the glass should not come in direct contact with the work of art. Through time and temperature changes the work will ad-here permanently to the glass. There are other choices of glazing such as museum glass and anti-re­flection, and your custom framer can advise you on the best choice for your situa­tion, but the key is UV pro­tection. Nothing can kill a work of art faster, even framed properly, than direct UV light over time.

Works on canvas such as acrylics and oils are not as fragile and therefore do not need to be placed in a frame package with glass or matboard. The framing choices are still endless with the range of mouldings, filets and linen liners, and any combination of the three. But again, the painting should be able to be re-moved from its frame pack-age. Remember, a work of art does not need to be ex-pensive to be of value to you. Take precautions to assure it a safe future so you may enjoy it for many years.

Ida owns Galeria de Ida Victoria in the historic art district in San José. 011.52.624.142.5772 www.idavictoriaarts.com