Hello Everyone,I am a show coordinator at Festival of the Masters. I would like to get some perspective from the photographers and digital artists about using silk as an archival material. If a photography or digital work was printed on silk, is it considered archival?
Can't answer your question about archival properties. However, some thoughts based on personal experience with textiles. Silk isn't the best for long term. It would also depend on storage, exposure to light, etc. The fibers have a tendency to "shatter":
Cotton is a better bet though admittedly less glamorous and responds differently to various media. Also would have to take into consideration how the item is stored. I've seen framed fabrics and textiles that deteriorate or stick to glass when framed. Of course this can take a very long time :) The best long term storage for fabrics is to loosely cover them in tissue paper and refold them periodically to avoid setting a crease and consequently shattering the fibers. Fabric likes to breathe.
This quote comes from Jon Cone, a very well-known maker of inks for inkjet printing.
"I would contend that too much emphasis is put on longevity today. None of the other art disciplines are as concerned with this topic as digital printmaking is. Even photography is plagued by process such as the most popular C-Print (Chromogenic) process which chemically deteriorates even in the dark. Even Cibachrome / Ilfachrome prints can not keep up with certain inkjet inks and media. Watercolors are prone to fading as are pastels. More emphasis should be placed on educating the consumer on how to care for works on paper. And you can quote me on that".
Jon Cone
I would add that if the work is produced by the artist, and not mass-produced overseas, that you ask the artist for more details on their process and the longevity of the work.
If its going to be used as a substrate for digital printing, chances are it has been coated to receive the inks. The Chinese used silk to paint on for many centuries, and it's been used as a base for embroidery as well. The article Larry cites gives some good background.
The term "archival" itself is up for debate. How long should the piece last? Is 50 years enough? 100? 200? Since much of the art purchased at shows is hung for a few years at best, and then stored, longevity might not be the best criteria for definition of the term. Will the inks fade? K3 Ultrachrome inks themselves have been tested on many commercial media by Henry Wilhelm
http://www.quora.com/Is-digital-printing-on-silk-considered-archival no, silk is not a good long term support. The proteins in silk start to break down after some years, even in storage. Looks terrific though. You have to choose sometimes between the artistic result and the longevity of the piece.
A lot of information on this page: http://silkpaintersguild.homestead.com/GalResource.html Silk is protein matter that breaks down from ultraviolet rays and would become faded and brittle over extended time in direct sunlight.
Comments
Can't answer your question about archival properties. However, some thoughts based on personal experience with textiles. Silk isn't the best for long term. It would also depend on storage, exposure to light, etc. The fibers have a tendency to "shatter":
http://vintageclothing.about.com/od/glossary/g/shattered.htm
Cotton is a better bet though admittedly less glamorous and responds differently to various media. Also would have to take into consideration how the item is stored. I've seen framed fabrics and textiles that deteriorate or stick to glass when framed. Of course this can take a very long time :) The best long term storage for fabrics is to loosely cover them in tissue paper and refold them periodically to avoid setting a crease and consequently shattering the fibers. Fabric likes to breathe.
http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/archives/preservation/time/index.cfm
"I would contend that too much emphasis is put on longevity today. None of the other art disciplines are as concerned with this topic as digital printmaking is. Even photography is plagued by process such as the most popular C-Print (Chromogenic) process which chemically deteriorates even in the dark. Even Cibachrome / Ilfachrome prints can not keep up with certain inkjet inks and media. Watercolors are prone to fading as are pastels. More emphasis should be placed on educating the consumer on how to care for works on paper. And you can quote me on that".
Jon Cone
I would add that if the work is produced by the artist, and not mass-produced overseas, that you ask the artist for more details on their process and the longevity of the work.
The term "archival" itself is up for debate. How long should the piece last? Is 50 years enough? 100? 200? Since much of the art purchased at shows is hung for a few years at best, and then stored, longevity might not be the best criteria for definition of the term. Will the inks fade? K3 Ultrachrome inks themselves have been tested on many commercial media by Henry Wilhelm
It appears that silk isn't
Some resources that come up doing a search
http://www.quora.com/Is-digital-printing-on-silk-considered-archival
no, silk is not a good long term support. The proteins in silk start to break down after some years, even in storage. Looks terrific though. You have to choose sometimes between the artistic result and the longevity of the piece.
A lot of information on this page:
http://silkpaintersguild.homestead.com/GalResource.html
Silk is protein matter that breaks down from ultraviolet rays and would become faded and brittle over extended time in direct sunlight.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
As far as I can find out they are Archival. You can google "Epson UltraChrome K3 on silk" and several references come up about printing on silk.
Lisa, not sure about it being archival but silk is very strong and will hold up for years. Are you concerned about the inks used being archival?