This image is entitled "Stone Carving, Borobudur Temple, Indonesia", by Jordan Lewis ©1982. The fine art print was made February 23, 2008 on an Epson 7800 printer with Ultrachrome K3 ink set and Epson Ultrasmooth Fine Art paper. The artist added the custom color control patches in collaboration with AaI&A at the time of printing in his studio. The print was then framed at AaI&A where two environmental data loggers were also installed. The loggers are set to continuously record heat, humidity, and light levels for up to one year before retrieval from the field.

One light sensor port contains a diffuser and neutral density filter, the other just a diffuser. The pair span a light level sensitivity range of approximately 20-80,000 lux, enough to measure relatively low indoor light levels as well as direct sunlight striking the print surface. The color patches are measured by a spectrophotometer annually at the same time the dataloggers are read out and batteries replaced. A second identical set of color patches remains protected from light exposure underneath the window mat.

To date, several environmentally monitored picture frames have been placed in real-world locations throughout the United States. An example, contributed by artist Jordan Lewis, is shown in the photos above. The first measurements won't take place until late October 2008. This research program is very much in its infancy, more or less a pilot study with help from friends and family. Yet the idea is to build upon our experience tracking the aging of prints in real-world (RW) settings, and to find creative ways to include more participants, more print processes, and new locations in the study. A key to the program expansion is the AaI&A gallery which is planned to go online in the 4th Quarter of 2008. The gallery will offer signed and unsigned prints from contributing artists and these prints will become the core of our RW monitoring research and its outreach to the public. As we draw closer to the unveiling of the Archives and Gallery page, I will keep you posted on the refinements we are making to the print monitoring program.

Thank you for your interest,

Mark H. McCormick-Goodhart
Director, Aardenburg Imaging & Archives