What is the cause of dark spots that sometimes appear on the paper of drawings and paintings? Reddish-brown spots are known as "foxing", caused by mold or the deterioration of the metallic impurities abstract oil paintings left in the paper from the manufacturing process. other colors of spots may be one of many types of mold damage. oil mold spores are everywhere in the environment, and mold thrives on cellulosic materials, especially in conditions of high humidity (above 65% of relative humidity). keeping artworks out of high humidity areas like bathrooms or exterior walls, can help reduce the development of such stains. if i have a work of art on paper that appears to not be flat, should i be concerned? paper is hygroscopic, reacting to changes in climate by expanding when it is humid and contracting when it is dry. a gentle undulation in the paper called "cockling" occurs under these conditions, especially with larger works. this may impair the work aesthetically as well as cause mediums such as gouache to crack or flake as it is unable to expand and contract as the paper itself does.

do not store or display works of art in areas of potentially high humidity or water leakage, e.g. basement, bathroom, outside walls, under pipes. avoid areas where temperature and humidity fluctuate, or where there is inadequate air circulation, e.g. attic and places paintings listed above. do not hang artworks abstract and oil over or under radiators, heating and cooling vents, active fireplaces, humidifiers, and vaporizersa. paintings the hygroscopic nature of wood means that it will take water from the atmosphere and expand, but it will contract as the humidity lessens. the direction of shrinkage is almost always abstract around the circumference, which causes a solid piece of wood to crack vertically. keeping it in a steady relative humidity can stabilize the sculpture; oil if the wood does not paintings absorb or release moisture, it will no longer expand or contract.

on view throughout the museum are an especially varied range of objects, images, and room-sized installations, including masterworks by some of the most influential artists of the past forty years, along with an impressive number of recently acquired works by emerging artists. open ends includes abstract eleven distinct exhibitions and ten large-scale works and installations that examine key themes and lines of affinity that define contemporary art and artists. the exhibition opens in three stages. architecture hot and cold presents a wide range of images of architecture principally drawn from the museum’s collections of photographs and architectural drawings. the exhibition includes works by architects including archigram and rem koolhaas are shown alongside the photography of andreas gursky and robert adams, for oil example, as well as paintings works in different media by artists such as gordon matta-clark, andy warhol, and joel shapiro.