This key knowledge parallels KK 42 but focuses on storage, handling and transportation rather than display. Students must understand not only how to display their own work safely, but how to care for it when it is not on display — before, between and after exhibitions.
Two-dimensional works (painting, drawing, printmaking)
Short-term storage (weeks):
- Store framed works upright in a padded rack or leaned against a wall with foam pads between work and wall, and between adjacent works
- Store unframed works on paper flat in an acid-free portfolio or solander box, with glassine between each work
- Unframed canvases: wrap in clean cotton sheeting or acid-free tissue; never use coloured tissue (dyes can transfer)
Long-term storage (months to years):
- Temperature: stable 18–22°C; avoid hot roof spaces or cold garages
- Humidity: 45–55% RH; avoid basements (high moisture) or unventilated spaces
- Darkness: wrap or store in darkness to protect light-sensitive surfaces
- Archival materials only: acid-free boxes, boards, tissue — not standard cardboard or bubble wrap in direct contact
Three-dimensional works (ceramics, sculpture)
- Each piece in its own padded container or purpose-made foam cradle
- Label each package clearly (fragile, which side up)
- For ceramic works: wrap in acid-free tissue, then surround with ethafoam or foam pellets
Photography and digital prints
- Store face-up in acid-free sleeves or archival folders
- Never store prints in contact with each other without interleaving
- Avoid PVC sleeves (off-gases harmful to photographic materials)
- Keep in cool, dark, dry conditions
The same principles as professional handling, at student scale:
Protective materials when handling:
- Use cotton gloves for framed works and works with polished or sensitive surfaces
- Place works on a padded surface (foam pad or clean cloth) when examining them lying flat
For student-scale transport (by car, between home and school):
Framed works:
- Wrap in bubble wrap, but not in direct contact — place glassine or clean cloth against the surface first
- Transport upright (not flat on the floor where they can flex)
- Secure against sliding or falling in the vehicle (cardboard corner protectors; bungee cords to a boot rack)
Unframed works on paper:
- Place in a rigid portfolio or between two boards taped together; never fold
- Store flat in the vehicle boot or back seat, not where objects can fall on them
Three-dimensional works:
- Use purpose-made boxes or padded containers
- Place padding on all sides — works must not move inside the container
- Ensure the container is marked “fragile — this way up”
REMEMBER: Most damage to artworks in student practice happens during storage and transport, not during making or display. Ten minutes spent properly wrapping a work before transport protects months of art making.
VCAA FOCUS: VCAA requires students to compare conservation methods they apply to their own works with methods used in professional exhibitions visited. For storage and transport, professional institutions use climate-controlled facilities and custom crating — understand the principle behind these and articulate how you approximate them at a student scale.
STUDY HINT: After your exhibition, photograph the packing and storage setup for your works and add it to your Visual Arts journal with annotations explaining the conservation rationale. This is direct evidence of applied conservation knowledge.
