Aboriginal Art Maintenance: What New Owners Need to Know

Buying a painting that boasts Aboriginal origins on canvas makes you feel ecstatic, but then reality sets in, what’s next? Most new owners focus exclusively on the purchase and finding the right piece (congratulations!), but they completely overlook practicalities of ownership, like how to maintain it. It’s not a mass-produced print. Aboriginal art, especially authentic pieces made with culturally significant steps and processes, requires specific techniques and plans of action to retain its features for decades to come.

The good news is that it’s not complicated or expensive; it simply requires an understanding of what truly harms these pieces, creating a few proactive habits over time. Mess it up, however, and you’re left with dulled colors, chipped paint, cracks, or even permanent regrets for what was once a stunning painting that could have lasted centuries.

Where You Hang It Makes More of a Difference Than You Think

Where you hang it makes up 80% of its overall survival for years to come. For instance, sunlight is the number one culprit to fading Aboriginal art. UV rays penetrate materials and completely eradicate pigments faster than the naked eye can ever detect (with age). Eventually, damage is irreversible. Even indirect sunlight from windows plays a minor role over time (ochre materials can fade more easily than acrylic since it’s a natural substance).

In addition, excess heat is problematic as well; if your artwork is on the wall above a heater, fireplace or vent, then you’re exposing the canvas to extreme temperature changes, which makes it contract and expand. Over time, this induces cracking paint or weakens canvas glue. The same concept goes for a painting on an outside wall of your home, seasonal changes can increase susceptibility to damage.

Humidity is also critical; avoid the obvious rooms (bathrooms and kitchens), but even laundry rooms and basements with bad ventilation exacerbate the air quality needed to retain pigment and sturdiness. Too much moisture breeds mold, while too little lets canvas and paint dry out and become brittle, gorgeous Aboriginal art made in the dry Australian outback may not always fare well in humid coast areas, unless there’s a dehumidifier running at all times to keep it steady.

Know What You’re Actually Buying.

Not all Aboriginal paintings are created from the same materials; therefore, it’s unfair to think they should all be treated equally. For example, there’s a huge difference between a traditional painting on bark and a contemporary acrylic version on canvas. New collectors often find one between $500 and $1,000 to get started. But what’s inside determines what’s outside, using proper maintenance techniques for a presumed inexpensive but valuable option relies on the artist’s discretion for what materials were used.

For example, while traditional and contemporary materials each have their pros and cons, bark paintings require gentler handling since the bark itself might swell or crack due to humidity changes; additionally, ochre pigments are more delicate than mass-produced paint.

Canvas works using acrylic are easier to manage (they’re more pliable), but they too need attention when extremes set in. Some contemporary versions blend natural and man-made components; determining what was done with which will change how the final product survives.

The gallery or art center should provide documentation of what materials were used; if that level of detail was omitted at purchasing time, reaching out for specifics goes a long way in avoiding mistakes in maintenance later on.

How To Clean (Or Not Clean) So It Doesn’t Ruin Everything

This is where new owners get nervous (and find it boring): how do you clean Aboriginal art without making things worse? You generally don’t.

Dusting with a clean brush is about as aggressive as you should ever get for most artworks; use a real fiber brush (not synthetic or else static will cling to surfaces) that’s softer than hard and brush across the surface gently without ever touching paint. Do this every few months at most (certainly not weekly).

Never use water or any kind of cleaning solution or anything wet unless you’re professional conservator. Even the gentlest of products can compromise specific pigments or binding agents within Aboriginal art. Commercially used cleaning supplies with other households in mind aren’t made for Indigenous artwork.

For glass-covered pieces, clean only that with the appropriate solution as long as the nozzle isn’t too close to the edge, even moisture can seep in under glass and cause problems you won’t detect until it’s too late.

Framing That Protects Vs. Framing That Damages

Framing seems simple until it proves how complicated it can be to go wrong. For example, glass provides a protective barrier from dust, accidental touches by hand, etc., but non-acidic glass does nothing for UV ray protection. Conservation glass or museum glass offers added expense but real value when it comes to light damage.

Furthermore, you should never mount directly with tape/glue across the piece either; proper mounting uses archival methods and tools without using any part of the painting; canvas paintings require space behind them for airflow, mounting flush keeps moisture in where it can’t be detected for adjustments.

Certain Aboriginal pieces look better without a frame, showing portions of the raw canvas edges; this works in certain situations with controlled climates with minimal dust particles that can easily compromise efforts, but this leaves pieces vulnerable to accidental touching/damage.

There’s no right answer, only compromises.

What Needs a Professional’s Touch

Most injury occurs when accidents happen, but other situations require professionals because you can’t take on your DIY project from home. Flaking paint, tears in canvas from animal claws or accidents, mold spots or water damage all need professional conservation; trying to fix painting yourself almost always makes it worse.

Even minor things might be semi-major; a small spot of discoloration may just be surface dust, but it could also be mold developing between layers; slight lifting of paint may stabilize itself – or it could tear off entirely overnight. Conservators know what’s going on and get ahead before it’s too late.

Finding someone who specializes specifically in Aboriginal artwork makes a difference; Westernized oil paintings don’t always boast the same traditional materials used; conservation measures operate best when trained under Aboriginal methods/qualities. The Professional Organization can help direct you to qualified conservators near you.

Long-Term Value Maintenance

Proper maintenance opens up resell value and insurability options; note taking processes over time are always best, they mean some professional conservation endeavors along with pictures confirming condition grants higher valuations if an insurance company wants to insure your piece at all full price at appraisal value.

Storing documentation from purchase, a certificate of authenticity or other artist information related to provenance, maintains proper records beyond just acquisition if ownership ever transfers hands from those who want to do something with them in an investment-worthy fashion down the line (or just wants to keep it nice for family).

It takes little work to make sure Aboriginal art is taken care of properly, but if preventative measures aren’t extended through placement and minor dusting here and there, regrets will reverberate if colors fade or cracks appear over time. It’s not obsessive perfectionism or costly; it’s consistent maintenance that’s educated enough not only for physical work but respect toward its culture and achievement where practical efforts boast such success over time.