Lighting In Art Exhibitions

Art and lighting are a hand-in-hand combination; art cannot be seen without lighting

. And whilst it is easy enough to hang a painting or sculpture and arrange a light to be shone on it, it doesn't necessarily do it justice. In fact, such a slap-dash approach will more than likely leave the artwork lacking and looking dull. It's a disconcerting feeling to buy a painting at an art exhibition, take it home, hang it up and find that it doesn't look nearly as good as it did hanging up in that gallery where you paid a lot of money for it. The secret is audio visual lighting. Correct lighting for art is an art in itself. Every piece of art is different, and although there are common methods of lighting, to gain the maximum benefit out of a piece you need to know what to look for.

Natural light is often mistaken as the best choice for lighting artworks, but this can be a mistake fatal to a painting especially. Anything bathed in a natural glow from the sun will look amazing. But it won't last. The harmful effects of natural light's UV and infrared radiation can discolour and fade an artwork. This is also a huge danger for anything paper-based, but will have lasting and irreversible effects for almost any artwork.

Fluorescent lighting is a big mistake. Not only do fluorescent lights emit harmful UV radiation onto an artwork, they also only emit a limited spectrum of colour. Using a fluorescent light to display your art will leave it looking washed-out, and when you turn off the lights it will be washed-out.

The truth is there is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to lighting your art. Your best options are a combination of halogen and incandescent lighting sources. Here's why:

Halogen lights are known for emitting an intense bright white light and are therefore often overlooked. However, using a low-wattage bud in a halogen light can offer an even light that is strong enough to mark out features but soft enough to illuminate without reflecting harshly. This is probably the best option for most works of art.

Incandescent lights are your best choice for marking out the warm colours of a painting. Reds, oranges and yellows look rich and lavish under a properly installed incandescent light. However, the other end of the spectrum, the greens and blues, are left somewhat dull and washed out. Incandescents are better than halogens only in paintings that suit its particular spectrum.

Light damages art, a sad fact and a constant reminder of its fragility. The more care taken with lighting art, the longer the art will remain in its pristine condition. Whether you're hanging art in a gallery or looking to light up your artwork at home, using the right light is as important as figuring out where to hang it. Using a combination of halogen and incandescent lighting, your paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs can reveal hidden depths and will last for just that much longer

by: Michael Ward

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