Hello.
I'm a photographer and have just scheduled my first two overnight outdoor shows, both within blocks from the ocean (in NJ (Asbury Park and Tuckerton)).
I have a Flourish Trimline with regular and mesh walls and a roof and my big concern is whether I have to protect my work--framed prints and canvases--from condensation and how I might best do that without removing everything from the walls.
Thanks for any consideration.
Brett
Replies
I did my first multi-day show a couple weeks ago, with set-up the night before. Because it was near home, I just set up my tent, walls and tables but saw the other artists installing their artwork. We went back to add stakes to the weighted tent because Dorian was coming up the coast and one forecast called for 70+mph wind gusts (and another nothing over 15).
Since I saw the experienced folks mostly leaving their art up Saturday night I did the same and had condensation on items on the outer walls, between the tent wall and the lattice I use for hanging. I had one piece damaged, so my lesson is to not leave anything hanging on the outside of the wall at the very least.
I did pick up a tent ground cloth I'm going to try at my next multi-day, to see if that helps with condensation. I'm also wondering if fabric curtains on the inside of the tent walls might help insulate it (I have a pop-up type canopy with polytaffeta-type walls). Has anyone tried that?
The main problem I've had with humidity is with the museum grade mattes that are double thickness. Those seem to be more susceptible to warping than the standard mattes. The closer to the ground, the more problems with wavy mattes. I now take those up and place them in the flip bins at night. One cure is to use shim strips made of matte board instead of spring clips. The clips apply more pressure in spots and the mattes don't absorb humidity evenly, hence the warping. Using foam-cor backers helps a lot to distribute pressure on the matte as opposed to the thin chip board backers.
I've had virtually no problem with condensation inside frames, and I've done shows since 1988. There have been times where condensation formed on the glass outside but never enough to drip down and get soaked into the matte. I don't take pieces down overnight either unless there is a chance of a severe thunderstorm.
I just did a show on the Gloucester waterfront and I did see some artists and photographers use plastic drop cloths from Home Depot to cover all their work at night.
Brett,
It's like any other show.... take your artwork with you at night. Put a jar of Damp-Rid Beads in the trailer. You can get those anywhere... Walmart, Walgreens etc.
I haven't really had an any other show with which to compare.
I've thus far only done indoor single or multiple day shows with security so I've never had to remove anything. With the volume (and therefore proximity) of work I hang and the fragility of the frames, it's a huge undertaking, especially when I show alone (I'm disabled on top of it...) and the truck is far from the tent. So I'd have wanted to avoid doing so if possible, which it looks like not
So I'll ask again if anyone can advise whether storage in the tent needs to be airtight?
Thanks Wendy, re: the Damp-Rid. That's new to me.
Brett
http://www.damprid.com/
Well you are gonna be so happy when you use it then because it will solve your problem. Buy a Tub of it (or a few) and you peel back the paper seal to expose a series of holes that expose these little white balls in the bottom of the tub that attract moisture. When they are full of water they expand and the tub becomes full.... toss it and get a new one. VOILA!
As for not taking down the artwork.... in my opinion, that is a huge risk that I personally am not willing to take.
Hey.
Thanks to everyone for the information.
I store and transport my 16 x 20 frames in same-sized bubble rap bags and my canvases in the plastic bags in which they are originally sent.
Do we know if they offer enough protection if I leave them stored but in the tent, or if whatever they are placed in needs to be completely sealed/air tight?
Thank you again.
Brett
One of the reason I remove my art work each night during a multi-day show and do not put my work in my tent until the 1st morning if I can set up the night before.
I do wood wall art and some of my pieces are mounted on mat board. Condensation in the tent, or even damp weather will affect and warp the mat. One key, as Alison said, is to keep the tent high enough to get air underneath. We usually keep about a foot of space below the walls. This helps a lot to reduce, not eliminate, the dampness in the tent. One problem however is that with the tent higher you really have to weight or tie it down well because you are presenting the wind with a bigger surface to hit.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next