Archival Glue: NO to 'Yes Paste'
I received this e-mail from Cathleen in May, 2001:
Ann----I have been a real fan of your work for over a year now and think you are one of the most generous & talented artists in that you share so much in your web site with techniques and tips. Finding your work in Somerset Magazine was quite a treat---I am a member of the online artist journals group yahoogroups.com where we discuss everything from art to journaling. The subject of YES paste has come up numerous times since it is a favorite choice of not only myself but others, as to it's archival qualities of which we have been enlightened are none! It was once thought to be archival in the 80's but proved to turn brown and deteriorate within 5-7 years. So my question is why would you be recommending it when I am certain that archival is of utmost importance to you in your work? Do you feel with the layers of matte medium this will balance it out? I would think not since the original adhesive should be doing the most difficult work of keeping the work together---I would appreciate an answer when you have time since I have YES paste and really love the way it goes on like 'buttah' and would love to hear a reason for still using it!
Sincerely, Cathleen
Obviously this is a question which needs to be addressed, as it concerns many collage artists. Here is my reply:
Hi, Cathleen:
Sorry to disappoint you, but since I read about some of the problems associated with using Yes paste, I switched to Golden Heavy Gel Medium or Lineco Neutral PH Adhesive. Scotch Permanent Glue Stick is also acid-free. Polyvinyl Alcohol Adhesive does not yellow and remains flexible with age.
I do believe the jury is still out on the rate of deterioration of Yes paste, but there is plenty of non-scientific evidence which suggests it may not be the great idea we once thought it was. In my classes we still use Yes paste for experimentation as it is so easy to use, but I warn people against creating masterpieces with it!
To be frank, many of the materials I use in my collages are non-archival - found imagery from magazines or newspapers is not acid-free, for example. I encase these papers in acrylic matte medium and finish a painting with Golden UVLS varnish to increase the lightfastness. Even so they WILL fade in about 10 years if kept in a sunny spot or in about 50 years in dim light. Picasso and Braque used a lot of non-archival materials in their work. These have turned yellow with age, but this is now considered to be part of their beauty. Robert Rauschenberg created an assemblage called 'Collection' to which he attached a small mirror covered with a flimsy piece of transparent cloth. The cloth recently fell off, whereupon the mirror was found to be heavily tarnished. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art conservators spent months researching ways to repair the piece. In the end they decided that the mirror should be allowed to age normally, and they used an archival wheat paste to re-attach the fabric. Paul Klee painted on cardboard which keeps the conservators employed! If we as artists become famous, the museums will be the ones to conserve our work. If not, we should warn our customers that our art is not guaranteed to last for ever. I talked to a gallery owner recently who was selling huge mixed media paintings on newspaper. I asked her how long they would last. Her answer was: "The artist believes that everything changes over time and wants these changes to be seen as part of the process." Hmmm ... not too sure about that one! Especially at $10,000 per painting.
If you are using all-archival materials in your work, then obviously the adhesive should be archival too. I can highly recommend a visit to www.archivalsuppliers.com which lists numerous acid-free and archival adhesives, together with their ingredients and properties.
Happy pasting!