Before I started collecting art, I dipped my toe in the water by buying prints and art posters (the latter still has a soft spot in my heart). One thing that often gets overlooked when collecting works on paper in the pursuit of affordable art is just how expensive framing is. Now, when given a choice between a painting on canvas or paper, I’ll sometimes choose the former to avoid the cost of framing.

Polish Rocky Poster

Polish Back to the Future poster.

Years and years ago, on a trip to Cincinnati for the FotoFocus Biennial, I picked up this Polish theatre poster for a production of Who Killed Virginia Woolf. I love the history of Polish film posters, which have a distinct style that circumvented strict rules of the Stalinist regime around art making (you can read more about the history of that here). I love the weirdness and darkness of the posters, and with this particular poster, I love(d) the deeply pigmented pink.

Now I present my biggest art mistake:

The poster four years ago:

Hi, Raffi

And the poster now:

I’m sure being directly beside a window doesn’t help matters

All the pink pigment is gone. Remember when Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s dress to the Met Gala and everyone was furious that she ruined something archival? That’s basically how I feel.

Lesson Learned: Go for the more expensive glass or acrylic option!

I emailed Mitch Robertson at Superframe, a top-of-the-line frame shop in Toronto, to ask about how I could have prevented this. His first response was to express disbelief: Were they really the same poster? Yes, unfortunately, it is.

He followed up with an in-depth breakdown of why the glass, specifically the UV protection, is important to consider when framing:

For art or anything that is light sensitive, the type of glass or acrylic used is one of the most important decisions in framing. The sun and any source of UV light can bleach or shift the colours in a print or photograph in particular and warm colours like red are the most susceptible.

To prevent this, clients should choose a glass or acrylic with a high UV filter. Standard glass and acrylic typically block around 50% of UV light. Conservation options block 99% of UV light but look much like regular glass. Finally, low reflection glass and acrylics offer a much better viewing experience and offer 92 to 99% UV protection.

There is a price difference between the three levels so deciding which option is right for you can depend on budget as well as the location the art will hang as well as how vulnerable the art is to UV light. A reputable framer should have a range of options available and can explain the pros and cons for each.

While the glazing is a very important part of the decision for protecting your new art, other factors such as how the art is hinged and the quality of matboard and backing will also affect the art over time and can lead to discoloration if the materials and hinging methods are not to museum standards.

Mitch’s response demonstrated something I came to learn the hard way: it’s not the time to cut costs when choosing the type of UV glass. A sidenote is I’ve also had polaroids fade after framing in store-bought frames, so if there are family photos that are important, the same lesson applies.

I then started thinking about a conversation I had in 2021 with Monique Palma Whittaker, an art conservator who works between Toronto and Italy. We discussed the importance of collectors being stewards of artworks, propelling them into the future for the next generation. This conversation has always stuck with me because it answers a question I think about often: What is the purpose of art collecting? The answer might be as simple as taking care of art for our lifetime, so that it can exist into the future. It’s a question of maintaining history!

When collecting, it’s not just about the cost of the artwork, but the cost to properly take care of it for its lifespan. If that price is too high, whether it be framing or a properly temperature-controlled room, then it’s better to collect something you can holistically afford to take care of. For the Silo, Tatum Dooley.