No more regrets with the Art Conservation

Nothing in this world is permanent. As time passes, deterioration in living and non-living is inevitable.

When you visit a museum, you will notice the defects in works of art or artifacts. Some common conditions include weathering, blistering, peeling and a ripped canvas caused by insect pests. These reflect how the works were stored by the previous owners and how they valued their works.

In other cases, time can affect the conditions of materials and lead to the degradation on works on paper. Found in some works are warping, buckling, creasing, discoloration and mat burn. It is the burn caused by the passage of time. On the other hand, the conditions of some works remain the same though it is over 100 years old as they have been preserved very well. Conversely, some expensive artworks have been stored inattentively since the owners might not realize the value of the works that they overlook the preservation.

Concerning Angkarn Kalayanapong’s works which include paintings and literature, his collections of collectible items might spark you to wonder how these items have been kept as there was a time in his life when he was into moving and settling into a new place and it is impossible to bring everything to a new place. Sometimes, he had to discard some items since he didn’t have a car and he had to travel by bus or taxi in keeping with the money in his pocket. Moreover, it was a time when he lived in destitute. Sometimes, he had to skip meals or pick climbing vegetables that grew near the canal where he lived and boiled them as ‘Raining Soup’ (told by Niphon Khamwilai). The quality of materials used in his works was very poor since they were cheap. Therefore, deterioration in his works is apparent. Damages are also inevitable as he moved around many times.

It has been recounted that Angkarn would crumple his works over and over again only because of poor handwriting. He would write it until he was satisfied with his handwriting. Sometimes, people were too afraid to ask him to keep his disposed works. However, there are several people who received the perfect work. For example, there is a person who found a poem with beautiful handwriting on the wooden board that was waiting to be kept by the garbage truck. As the years passed, this wooden board increased its value. It also conveys remarkable stories and becomes a historically significant piece.

On organizing Angkarn’s treasure trove for setting up his archives, countless numbers of his works had been gathered and sorted out which allowed us to see the deterioration on paper, appliances and collectibles. Most items are in fair to nearly perfect conditions thank to his wife, Unruean Kalayanapong (Original last name was Jitpakdee) who keeps and stores his items nice and orderly.

Defects in Works of Art

Normally, defects may occur in any work not only in the cases of Angkarn’s works. Following are the hazards representing most of the risks you might encounter with your collections.

Mold

Recognized as the primary cause of damage to the paintings, mold can be categorized into different stages. The early stage is known as ‘Foxing’ which causes spots and browning on paper. Moreover, mold can be brown, greenish and black. However, any colors of mold are harmful if you inhale or touch it without any protection. The experienced conservators will not just remove the mold but they will find ways to prevent mold by recommending the proper materials to be suitable to your work.

Dust, Dirt, and Stains Caused by Pets and Pests

You might be surprised by a layer of dust on your painting if you have never cleaned it. Dust buildup can cause health problems. Stains caused by pets and pests, water stains from a leaky roof, dry temperature and air pollution can damage painting surfaces, especially in Thailand in which the weather is unpredictable. It is rather difficult to avoid damages to materials, canvas and paint surfaces that are caused by the dramatic change in weather.

Storage and Safety

Some people might not pay attention to how their work have been kept. Storing multiple pieces flat or placing works disorderly are the main reasons that damage your paintings. Moreover, the easy-to-access storage doesn’t mean that it is safe enough for robbery prevention. Art theft does exist outside the cinema. Therefore, safety and security are essential. It might be impossible to get museum security. But at least, there should be security cameras and secured door locks.

What damages have been found in Angkarn’s works?

Concerning works on paper, as mentioned before, the artist used to live in poverty, and the money to buy materials was limited. The quality of the paper was in line with its price. A low-cost paper would have gone through a process that used unsustainable materials that can damage the paper in the long run. The visible defects in his works include the change in colors from white to cream or brown from foxing and the presence of mold. Kept for decades, the paper is molder and considerably fragile. On the other, the quality of high-cost paper is comparably better. It slightly changes from its current condition. Only basic cleaning is required to conserve the work. However, if the conditions are severe, the works need to be conserved by the conservators. Due to the costs of conservation, it is impossible to submit all works to the conservators. Each work needed to be considered carefully before sending to the conservators.

Angkarn loved writing poems so much. The poem was his life. Even though in the last few days of his life, he said with a smile that the older he got, the better creative he became. He could write poems continually without stopping.

Countless characters are lying on a plie of paper. Some paper was attacked by mold, dust and dirt. The other was damaged with water stains caused by flood or burn which occur mostly in the published paper. The damaged works were to be decided whether to be kept out of the archives or sent to the conservators as the cost of conservation is considerably high. Additionally, faded ink is also relevant which makes it difficult to read the paper or sometimes leads to the disappearance of the whole page. Fortunately, now there is a better quality of paper that comes with a reasonable price. Buyers will have more choices in selecting the perfect quality of materials.

Angkarn enjoyed composing poems and painting that he didn’t pay attention to the quality of the paper. Even during the time when he could afford high-quality materials, he would have fun extending his stories from a piece of newspaper or sketching, composing a poem on any paper he found at that moment. These kinds of documents have been added to a collection in archives since they not only reflect his exceptional routine but depict his perspectives at certain moments that have never been revealed anywhere before.

All are only parts of Angkarn Kalayanapong’s art conservation. In fact, there are many more interesting details that are going to be presented very soon.