Museum-Quality Art Lighting

Lighting art is science. The elements of heat, UV light, and infrared light are a nemesis to fine art. When art is exposed to these elements, your art can experience damage over time, causing it to fade or crack. That’s why the technique of art lighting is so essential to preserving your collection of art. No doubt, you want a brilliant display that stands the test of time.

What is the Best Light for Art?

Some light can damage art over time. Many collectors and artists mistakenly believe that natural light is best for art. The problem with this is that most natural light comes from sunlight, which contains harmful UV rays and heat and can cause artwork to fade.

 

Art should be positioned away from natural light sources. Incandescent and halogen bulbs will also hasten your prized artwork’s demise because both produce more heat and UV light than your art will stand.

 

LED lights offer the best color rendering for art. Most modern artists today will use nothing but LED lighting to showcase their artwork. With good reason, too. LED lights don’t yield harmful UV rays or infrared light. LED lighting also produces much less heat than other lighting options.

 

LED lights are also the best environmentally-friendly option as they’re more energy-efficient. In the long term, they’re more cost-efficient, and the bulbs last longer.

 

All in all, LED lights are more efficient but also beautiful as well. Your art display will look more magnificent than ever. Most museums and art galleries have made the switch to LED, and today’s art collectors want to replicate a museum-quality display for their artwork.

Why Use a Professional Art Lighting Designer to Light Your Artwork?

Whether you’re a novice collector or a seasoned artist, a professional lighting designer can help your art become the center of attention in your home.

 

All too often, a collector feels exhilarated when acquiring new art, only to feel disappointment when the piece is displayed at home. This happens when best practice art lighting techniques aren’t used.

 

Once your art leaves the auction block or goes from your canvas to your home’s walls, a little savvy know-how in lighting your art can make the transition everything you hoped it would be.

 

For instance, one must think of the room where the art is placed as a palette itself. Art is expressed beyond the canvas of the art piece. The backdrop of the wall where you hang your art is just as important as how you frame your art and light it.

 

The color intensity of the room your art will be displayed in, and the color of your art piece itself will impact its display. Lighting designers understand the optimum color rendering and how to achieve a soft glow that accentuates artwork without changing its color palette.

Layers of Light Also Affect Your Artwork

Art lighting designers also consider how direct light and ambient light affect artwork. The ratio between each type of light is typically 3:1. That is, the optimum solution is that direct light is three times brighter than the ambient light in the room.

 

Experts layer light to increase the ambiance and set the mood of the area where art is displayed. Dimmer switches can help add to the drama.

 

Finally, lighting should never compete with your artwork – it should highlight it. This is achieved by angling the light at the center of the art piece. A ceiling-mounted light source is best for this. To ensure even illumination of the piece, overhead recessed lighting or surface-mounted lighting can properly distribute the light while preventing shadows or glare.

The Takeaway

Art lighting is a discipline in science and technique. Lighting your artwork should result in accenting your art and should never draw focus away from it.

 

An art lighting professional can determine the best ways to ensure a display worthy of any high-end art collection. As a collector, you want to be just as excited when your artwork is hung within your home or business walls as when you first saw the piece on display.

 

Contact our art lighting consultants to showcase your art in its best light. Our trained fine art lighting specialists have collaborated with many art collectors throughout the Houston region. We’ve illuminated art by many of the most prestigious artists through time and history.

 

Call us at 713-863-1133 to begin your art lighting consultation with one of our esteemed designers. We’ll bring sophisticated elegance and timeless appeal to your fine art display.