Last week we talked about light damage. So as an example, I wanted to share with you one of my earliest torn paper collages. Now, as far as preservation goes, it’s had a rough life. It was displayed for over 20 years right next to a window in an office. It got a Lot of light, and you can definitely see the effects of that.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of what it looked like when it was first made, but you can still see the fading and discoloration. Some of the discoloration is of the adhesive used to attach the magazine pieces to the paper—that’s likely a combination of light damage and the acidic nature of the adhesive (rubber cement, in this case).

Overall, considering the amount of light it got, it’s in surprisingly good shape. The colors have shifted, the blues in particular have faded a lot, but it’s still apparent what the subject is. At least it provided a lot of enjoyment over its lifetime!

Do you have any examples of light damaged artwork? Feel free to share in the comments!

Missed the first post? Start at the beginning of the collection care series here.

Check out the next collection care post on moisture here.

Want to stay up to date and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a FREE collection care resource guide. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)