How to wrap a sculpture

GENERAL RULE

 

As with paintings (see the article “packing a painting”), there will most of the time be two packaging phases, a flexible phase and a more rigid phase, the combination of the two making it possible to avoid any shock on the 'artwork.

 The flexible phase:

It will generally consist of bubble wrap and here we advise you to pack your work with “bi-layer” bubble containing bubbles of 2 cm in diameter in order to serve as a shock absorber.

If the shape of your sculpture is rather fragmented, we advise you to place cardboard or wooden props between the separate parts so that the whole structure is held together.

Secure them with 19mm masking tape which has the advantage of not marking the surfaces. Another solution is a fairly thick stretch film (20-23 microns thick) to wrap your sculpture. Add a double layer of bubbles 2 cm in diameter, which you will also fix with masking adhesive. The “bubble” side will obviously be placed inside, which will allow you to fix this plastic packaging more easily and to avoid damaging this material when you unpack it. This will allow reuse of this product.

The rigid phase:

What we call here the rigid phase is none other than the crating of your sculptures. The ideal, of course, is the dark brown plywood “flight case”, well known from musical tours, but, price-wise, it is far from ideal… Its little friend designed with plastic molded “in waves” (it's the fact that it is corrugated which absorbs shock) is not that much cheaper.

So we turned to the local hardware store and found corrugated plastic crates with casters that really roll, which don't take up space and which allow each crate to nest well on top of each other for a price which is approximately 10th of its big brothers!

We paid close attention to placing our sculptures in these boxes which have an easy-to-close lid (which doesn't spoil anything).

We used the four sizes available according to our needs:

• 149 liters for rather large pieces
• 111 liters for smaller pieces, or to bring together several works by the same artist
• l68 liters, called “long boxes” for rather high or long pieces.
• 49 liters for small parts. They also served as a “stand box” containing all the hanging equipment we needed (very practical).

https://www.castorama.fr/lot-de-2-malles-skyda-111-l/3663602690283_CAFR.prd

https://www.bricodepot.fr/catalogue/malle-avec-couvercle-150-l-skyda/prod55898/

For optimal security, plug all holes with cloths, cushions, foam or scraps of bubble wrap. And yes, everything is useful! :))

NB: We forget the polystyrene which sticks everywhere by static electricity as well as the wedge chips also in polystyrene which are put everywhere except where it is necessary, this will avoid "fights" with the equipment and a lot of waste of time. 😉

 

 

EACH TYPE OF SCULPTURE HAS ITS PACKAGING

 

We will now consider the different materials that can constitute the work, depending on their characteristics, in order to determine the best packaging for each type:

 Ceramics, clay and any material that can break

Regarding ceramics, the “double bubble + plastic box” system works very well. On the other hand, for glass, we recommend “double bubble + individual cardboard box” before packing (see packing a painting / 2-cardboard packaging).

When in doubt for these fragile parts, add an additional layer of plastic protection.

Wood and plexiglass

They are of course much less prone to breakage, but watch out for scratches!

Concerning wood, a soft, well-enveloping cloth will be suitable for the flexible phase, but for plexiglass, it's another matter!

Either, you place your sculpture in a protective suede pouch ( https://www.marchesaintpierre.com ), then in a double layer of bubbles, or you construct a suitable double-fluted cardboard where none of the plexiglass parts touch anything. whether it be.

So, make sure you choose the solution that matches your skills.

Then, regarding the wooden sculptures, you place them in the recommended chests. For Plexiglas, if your cardboard box is strong enough (it has rigid material reinforcements for example), make sure to place it in a suitable place within your vehicle, otherwise, put it in a plastic box as mentioned above.

 Mixed metals

Concerning works made of different metals, carefully check the condition of the welds, because the vibrations of the vehicle over thousands of kilometers are sometimes fatal... If certain pieces are very far from the "body" of the sculpture, consider placing props as explained above.

Steel and bronze

Steel sculptures are generally very solid and heavy, therefore not very sensitive to vibrations and shocks. Often, the packing work will serve more to protect what will be around in the load than the part itself.

Wrap the sculpture in a cloth. This can be an old sheet, a light blanket, a light bedspread or even what we call “borniole” or brushed cotton. It is a fabric, often black (hence the term) or white, quite thick and flame-retardant, which is stretched over the wooden walls on which you hang your paintings in the contemporary art fairs in which you certainly participate. Collect some if you have the opportunity, because what remains will be removed from the walls and thrown in the trash at the end of the show (ecology, when you're thinking of us!!!).

Wrap the sculpture generously with this cloth, then secure it with brown PVC adhesive tape (see the article Wrapping a painting » / tape)

You can optionally put your bronze in a box, if placement in the vehicle seems a little complicated to you.

NB: If your sculptures are really very important in weight and/or size, whatever the material, opt for a professional carrier specialized in works of art and therefore optimal protection for this type of work, this will save you to break your back and find them in pieces!

 

 

 

In general, the packaging stops there, unless they are small sculptures which can be collected in a thick cardboard structure or better, a plastic crate, as seen above.

Everything, as usual, is a matter of common sense!

Good packaging!