Three Hundred Drawings Restored and Re-Framed
About the Artist
The environmental artist and architect Michael Singer, commissioned Arts Management Services LLC to inspect, restore, and frame all of his works
on paper – collages, etchings, and prints.
This multi-year project involved nearly three hundred works of art ranging in age from his first pieces of the early 1970’s to his newest work. Some were in poor condition without acid free materials. Some had never been matted or framed before.
Restoration
Each was carefully taken apart. Frames – iron, steel, and aluminum – were cleaned, reconditioned, lacquer-coated, or replaced. All frames were custom-made. Special aged-iron frames were carefully cleaned of rust spots and coated with two layers of satin-finish lacquer, while preserving their antique iron look. Frame screws were replaced to match the frame color and finish.
All backing that was not acid-free, foam core, or blemish-free was replaced. All mats were carefully inspected and replaced when needed by 8-ply cotton rag archival museum board. This 8-ply mat was hand-cut with no over-cuts at the corners. I used a special bone implement to finish the cut edges as per standard art framing practices.
I used archival acid-free glue with hand-made Japanese rice paper hinges. In addition to hinging at the top as is usual, sometimes the sides were also hinged when the weight of the artwork was an issue. Acid-free paper was folded into triangles and applied to the bottom corners of all artwork to protect it from damage during handling and transport, should it ever come unhinged.
Other Projects:
- Art Restoration in Istanbul
- Sculpture Restoration at Wellesley College
- Art Conservation of the Buddha
- Sculpture Installation in Athens
- Restoration at the Denver International Airport
Some drawings needed to be carefully cleaned of bugs, dust, and mold. The artist was consulted before removing any blemishes to be certain that such marks were not part of the artwork.
Fixative was re-applied to surfaces without disturbing delicate elements such as copper foil, oil stick, chalk, pencil, and charcoal.
Many collage works required hand-made spacers between the mat and the Plexiglas to create space and separation so that the artwork does not touch the Plexiglas surface – a particular issue for this artist whose works often involve layers of paper as much as 5/8″ thick.
Conservation
Some works were large with dimensions as much as 3′ x 8′ and weighing nearly 100 pounds.
All original museum and gallery labels on the back of each piece were carefully removed and re-affixed to the reconditioned works.
Scratched and smudged Plexiglas surfaces were cleaned and repaired or custom cut and replaced.
Finally, all artworks were recorded in detail as part of a larger project to register all of the artist’s lifetime of artwork, installations, exhibitions, and sales including hundreds of drawings and sculpture.
Then I attached the artwork to new foam core backing with special Japanese rice paper hinges and extra custom-made holders that further secure these unusually heavy collages without being seen.
These non-matted works did not, at first glance, need any replacement Plexiglas, but upon removal clearly did. This little extra detail became a big factor as I searched the local and surrounding glass and framing businesses for replacement Plexiglas of the large and thin dimensions that I needed.
Finally I inspected the equipment used to display the art on the walls – hangers and lights – applying minor adjustments.
When I returned to my office I checked to be sure these framed art works are included in Mr. Singers registry, a project he commissioned me to assemble and keep updated. This is an ongoing project begun five years ago and including archival descriptions of all of his works of art – sculpture as well as drawings.
