Work Experience Day 4

Today I spent all day working with Lester, again packing pictures. This was framed photographs and unframed canvases. The framed photographs were already in bubblewrap. We put a thick layer of polythene over this to make a cushion.


If it was travelling anywhere the glass would have been taped so that if it smashed it would stick to the tape and not damage or tear the photo.

With the canvases it was again acid free tissue and polythene. Today I concentrated on learning the folds and tucks.

First you cut the plastic to the right size. They use a large packing table (a ping pong table which folds up and can be moved). It has a hard flat surface with a soft blanket covering.





The wrap has to be tight to to make sure that no dust or dirt gets in. It makes it easier and safer to handle, less likely to be knocked. Also Lester told me that it provides a buffer for changes in temperature. The most important conditions to watch for paintings are temperature and humidity. Too hot or cold, too damp or dry and the picture can crack with the paint falling off or spliting. The ploythene stops fast changes in temperature or humidity, and its the fast changes that make cracks. If its very humid the back of a canvas can absorb water and it'll get baggy, then when it drys out it'll get tight and this change might make the paint come off. It's hard to guage because so many artists use different techniques and mediums to work with and the different materials react together. The best option is to prevent damage with good care and conditions. Someone told me about a painters work on which the oil paint is so thick it will never dry in the middle. Also someone who wants the paint to slide off because of the marks it leaves.




This image shows the back of a canvas. The Canvas is stretched over the wooden frame (stretcher) and pulled tight and stapled. The stretcher keys (the wedges) can be pushed in to force the wood apart and make the canvas tighter.

Towards the end of the day I was able to spend some time taking shots around the warehouse. I was looking at the types of cases and packaging but also the labels. I also took some shots for my own work. see below.