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The Destructive Properties of Shipping Materials
- Christopher Vincenz
- Feb 18
- 5 min read
Past, Present and Future, Sculptural Art Has Not Been Easy to Handle and Transport
Before I ever thought of starting an art handling company I worked for a well known, mid-sized auction house, managing their operations throughout the western region of the Untied States. In that time I gained a wealth of knowledge and got to witness and experience a great number of things which helped me become the art handler I am today. Throughout it all, there are still some incidents which have stayed with me to this day, and the events surrounding them have continued to change how I approach certain tasks. In one very instance I was witness to an unfortunate shipping experience, of which I had little control over, which taught me a valuable lesson and has been principle to my art handling procedures ever since. Through this simple oversight by an unsuspecting parcel shipper I was presented with the knowledge that modern and seemingly indestructible materials such as plastics, polymers and polyepoxides, used by many of todays modern artists, are just as susceptible to the same damaging elements which can destroy or devalue a fragile, hand crafted pre-Colombian antiquity.
While accidents, falls and even breaks can and do happen, and even fires can destroy everything in its path, the different types of art and materials mentioned are equally susceptible not only to such large and destructive forces but to the often overlooked damaging effects which can be caused by the very materials used in the purpose of protecting the artwork itself during the shipping process. It was on that day I discovered the proper and improper ways of wrapping and securing a wide variety of abrasion and scratch sensitive materials for transport.
After one particular auction of traditional native pottery and western art, the buyer of a Hopi pot chose a local shipper who claimed expertise in shipping such items. However, as a result of improper packaging the shipping process caused heart-breaking destruction to the culturally significant piece of art. Although the pot itself was not broken in the shipment, the newsprint used in the packaging rubbed off much of the hand-painted pigmentation, significantly devaluing it. The incident was brought to my attention by the distraught collector and I immediately worked to begin the proper restoration process and oversee the mitigation and change of internal policy for possible similar situations in the future. In that process I meet a few experts and learned a great deal about the sensitivity of native pottery making and the proper handling of these pieces.
Mr. Charles King, a well know expert in Native pottery, with galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Scottsdale, Arizona says of these wonderful works of cultural art:
[Pueblo, Hopi and Zuni] "pots are carefully hand constructed using the coil and scrape techniques their ancestors taught them. The paints used are from naturally occurring materials. For example, black paint is made by boiling Bee-weed for a long time until it becomes very dark and thick. It is then dried into little cakes which are wrapped in corn husk until ready for use. It is called guaco. The intricate and beautiful designs are painted freehand using a yucca leaf brush. The pots are then fired in the open air out on the mesa using sheep dung and cedarwood as heat sources".
After consulting with him and other similar experts I had gained a greater understanding in handling native pottery and ceramic with hand painted pigmentation. I implemented a new policy for the auction and still hold the following practices as standard policy when handling similar pieces in my capacity with Chamli Art Services today.
Handle only with freshly washed hands or clean cotton gloves to minimize oils being transferred onto the pottery and causing long term stains.
Wrap securely in 100% cotton or other natural materials, and avoid abrasive materials such as small cell bubble wrap, paper, or stiff foams where contact can be made.
Pack into proper shipping container so as little movement or jostling can occur during transport, providing plenty of "buffer" within the overall package.
At that time, I was already aware of the special handling and care required to prevent abrasion and scuffing to certain plastics used in the creation of modern art pieces, such as acrylic and Lucite. Certain care is needed not only to three-dimensional sculptures such as the wonderfully colorful and well crafted works by artists such as Maeve Eichelberger of Denver, CO, but also to simple materials like plexiglass which can be used in framing flat art. these plastics are very susceptible to abrasives and can be easily scratched or scuffed by simply using products such as paper towels for light dusting. It was intriguing to gain an new found understanding that the natural, earthenware bowls and pots of a pre-Columbian era with paints crafted from natural elements found only in the southwest required much of the same handling techniques as was needed for modern pieces made from mass produced products using chemical fusion of elements, often not known to mankind only a few generations ago.
Who would have thought such lasting and abundant materials such as plastics, polymers and epoxy could be so fragile and delicate; requiring extra care in handling. Just as the Pueblo and Zuni people's pottery; resins and acrylics are susceptible to oils from our hands and cause long term staining. Micro abrasions from materials used to clean or transport these works of art can accelerate discoloration or cloud the finish and distort the artists original intentions.
Cora Sexton Wheeler, another Denver based artist, and client of Chamli Art Services uses Resin in the creation of her works, and while it appears she is creating two dimensional works on canvas, her technique and materials used give depth as they rise off the canvas. The resin helps seal her works and adds a signature gloss to the overall piece of art and insomuch needs special care and consideration in the shipping and handling for her buyers and clients. Below is a montage of how we work with her pieces when transporting to the client.
After ensuring we are only using clean, fully cotton fabric against the art, only then do we use plastic products such as stretch wrap, bubble wrap and corner protectors. Bubble is always placed with the pillowy cell away from the work and is used only as lofting material to cushion the piece away from the walls of the crating material and is never tightened or contracted toward the works with tape, wraps or by forcing into tight spaces.
Becoming a good art handler is not a difficult thing to do, but it takes some understanding, a lot of care, and more often than not, years of experience. A true understanding of the artwork you are handling and the products they are made from and how those materials interact with the products you are using for packaging can be the difference between satisfied clients with lasting art and disappointing failure and destruction of original pieces .
If you have any questions, or feel your current art handler may not be giving the care needed to you and your clients, please reach out to us at 720-202-6285 for a free consultation. Review our website and follow us on Social media for more content and to see the latest projects Chamli Art Services is working on.
