Serigraph on canvas

CAframer

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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A customer has a serigraph in color with hand embellishment on canvas (approx 29" x 45.3/4", "Quartet" by David Schluss). This piece of art has been rolled in a tube for two or three years and she has only now decided to frame it. On unrolling the canvas there are numerous hairline cracks and some very small flecks of paint have chipped off.

My questions are these:

(1) Are there any special concerns to be observed when stretching this canvas?
(2) Should there be any additional treatment (e.g. varnish) before or after stretching to protect the art given the hairline cracks and paint chips? Not a job that I would be willing to perform, but I could recommend her to a local conservator if she should go this route.
(3) As an alternative to additional treatment is it advisable to glaze this piece of art? I have discussed AR with the client but cost may be an issue.

Thanks for your help.
 
A couple of red flags going up when I read your thread:

1. Flaking paint is a sign of more flaking paint! The hand embellishments have been added to the serigraph and it was probably tightly rolled for years. And now the paint is set in a rolled condition. Now you are flattening out the canvas in a direction which the paint doesn't want to follow.

2. This piece probably cost your customer between $300 and $800 depending on which bells and whistles Schluss included on the print. It amazes me that people will pay this kind of money for a high grade copy of a piece of art and then leave it rolled up in a tube for years! I'm sure there are circumstances which warrant this kind of storage but I would be antzy to get my new piece of art framed and up on the wall!! ASAP! I wonder how much interest the customer really had in it to store it in this manner.

3. Cost should be a concern but I question it's priority on a higher valued piece such as a Schluss?? It sounds like you are being set up to take the responsibility for fixing up some unnecessary damage that was caused by customer error/ignorance in handling and storing the artwork.

I would not add anything to the piece, nor would I do any altering, touchup, and I would think hard before I went so far as to stretch the piece without getting some feedback from a conservator on the overall condition. If it lived inside a shipping tube for the past how many years, there may be additional deterioriation that isn't evident on casual inspection.

About the only thing I can say to the positive is it probably didn't fade from a bombardment of UV rays since it was purchased.

Good luck.

Framerguy
 
CA, send them to the Barlow Museum, unless you know a concervator that specializes in serigraphs on canvas.

DO NOTHING ELSE.

If it was rolled "paint in", like it sounds.... there is very likely no saving it.

Had one years ago that we found, and just for giggles, stretched it. We were wearing goggles. The paint was just flying of the canvas. Fun.

We framed it and my friend had a plaque made for it. "Giggles, Goggles, Gone". and that is what that Neaman was - - gone.
 
Ordinary serigraph ink is not flexible and it is
not surprising that it would flake, if it were
applied to canvas. If this were done with something else, like acrylic paint, it may flex
better, but may not bond well to canvas, if it
is applied with a printing screen. Everything that
has been said in this thread should be heeded.
The artist made a problematic piece and the long
storage in the tube didn't help. Warn the client
that this item is unstable and be vary about
stretching it, since that may lead to more flaking. It should not be allowed to flap, so
a sheet of acrylic sheet, spaced in front of
it and a polyflute board screwed to the back of
the stretcher bars are needed to keep it still.
Most importantly, it must be made clear to
the client that more flaking is likely to occur,
regardless of what is done.

Hugh
 
I would suggest the client contact the publisher or the gallery that they purchased it from. While the client may have aided in the damage, it is more likely the galleries responsabilty to replace or restore the serigraph.

The "common man" would expect that the storage of the artwork in its tube to be safe.
 
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