Conservation Framing
A good quality frame will:
make your artwork look its best
protect it during display
For this reason Cal Smith carefully selects only materials and techniques used by Fine Art Conservators and Museums in the mounting and framing of artworks.
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Cal Smith is a specialist conservation grade framer with nearly 20 years of experience as a maker and designer.
Having studied Fine Art he has a keen eye for selecting frames that will bring out the best in every artwork. He also has a BSc in the Conservation of Decorative Surfaces from London Metropolitan University.
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Cal has framed artworks by Banksy, Peter Blake, Jean Cocteau, Tracey Emin, Gilbert & George, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Chris Levine, Eduardo Paolozzi, Victor Pasmore, Grayson Perry, David Shrigley amongst others.
He has worked on projects for Tate Britain, the Science Museum, the Horniman Museum and the National Trust.
Examples
All frames are made from wood and are hand finished, all glazing is 99% UV-filtering, and mount-boards are conservation grade or 100% cotton rag. Wherever possible artworks on paper are mounted using Japanese paper hinges and Japanese wheat starch paste (jin shofu).
Screenprint made by one of the founders of the Pop Art movement Eduardo Paolozzi inside a 100% cotton rag window-mount in a hand stained slim spline-jointed oak frame with a hidden subframe.
Chine-collé print by Victor Pasmore float-mounted in a hand painted white ash wood frame. The frame was a conservation grade replacement for a previous white frame in the client’s collection.
Framing
Large 1970s silk mosaic textile by world renowned textile designer Lucienne Day. The piece arrived at the workshop sagging under its own weight as it was mounted using metal pins which did not distribute the weight of the textile evenly. A museum grade fabric covered stretcher allowed a specialist textiles conservator to mount the artwork so it is fully supported. Custom fillets wrapped in the same fabric set the piece back from the glazing inside a deep oak frame.
Mounting
The original Sailor Moon animaton cels are layered up in conservation grade mounts. Each cel is safely set off the others and carefully aligned to form the complete image. The frames have ventilation holes in the sides to allow the acetate to 'breathe' since it deteriorates more rapidly in a closed environment.
Paper conservation
“Up to 40 years of surface dirt removed from this 1979 Alice Baber watercolour. Poor previous repairs were also addressed and replaced using conservation grade methods- safer for the artwork and less distracting visually. Very satisfying to see the dirt removed!”
Contact
Whether you are a private collector, a gallery or museum please get in touch to make an appointment or discuss your project.
The workshop is located in Wivenhoe, Essex. Open by appointment only.