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Lighting up the art work

Right mix: The charm of art works can be made or marred by the combination of lights and colours provided. Photo: courtesy: Sujatha Shankar

Physics points out that light is a combination of colours of different wavelengths. Sunlight, for instance, is the coming together of the seven hues we see in the rainbow. So intimately are light and colour connected that the charm of art works can be made or marred by the kind of lighting it gets. Proper lighting can light up the art work, enhancing its value and appearance. And vice versa. Flawed lighting can detract from an art work, be it a painting or a textile, and e ven shorten its lifespan. Lighting is critical for displaying fine art, so decide on the right light source, the right light fitting and the right positioning to make the best of the art on your wall.

So, what’s the best lighting for viewing art? “Nothing like natural light”, says Sujatha Shankar, architect and interior designer. But the architecture and the lifestyle of our times do not allow sunlight a freeway into our structures, even during the day, making artificial lighting inevitable. And on the flipside, the infrared and ultraviolet (UV) rays of natural sunlight can damage paintings over time. UV rays cause fading of art works created on textile (like tapestry, quilts and rugs) and the art works created on paper like water colour paintings and photographs. So don’t expose these kinds of work to direct sunlight.

In choosing artificial lighting for your art work, the first rule is, let your painting decide its own light source. The fact is, different types of artificial lighting have different effects. For instance, incandescent (the classic bulbs) lights bring out warm colours in the painting such as red, orange, and yellow tones, but flatten out cool colours like green and blue. So, if you have a painting dominated by warm colours, incandescent lights can be an option, if you plan to use it for very limited period of time, as these lights are extremely energy inefficient, and also emanate a lot of heat. On the other hand, fluorescent lights (our compact fluorescent ‘tubelights’), give off a high amount of UV rays which can cause a fading effect on the canvas. Today, architects recommend halogen lights which emit strong white light as a possible option. “CDMTs and metal halide lamps are good options“, says Sujatha. The thing to keep in mind is, use a halogen lamp of less rather than more wattage, the strength of which is decided after taking into consideration the size of the room, the other light sources in the room, and the size of the painting.

Actually, all lights (natural and artificial) damage paintings over a period of time, so never go in for direct lighting. “Powerful spotlights should never be positioned too close to the painting”, Sujatha warns. Let the light source bounce from the wall on to the art work, rather than directly from the light source. “This can be achieved by concealed lighting, where the light source is kept concealed by creating a false ceiling that doesn’t reach up to the wall. This light can be directed to a point on the ceiling from where it bounces over to the painting on the wall”, suggests Sujatha. For paintings which are quite long, use track lights to cover the large space, rather than a single lighting source, she adds.

Sujatha also points out that apart from the regular GLS bulbs, users now have the option to choose from CFLs or energy savers which come in three tones – pure white, cool white and yellow tones. Adds Electrical consultant K. Ganesh, “Discerning art lovers may even opt for optical projectors, which allow the intensity and direction of the light field to be controlled. LEDS (Light Emitting Diodes) that can emit light for as many as 100,000 hours are another option”.

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