Bristol, Art & Adhesives | Using Adhesives In Art Exhibitions

Bristol is well known for embracing all art forms. Stokes Croft, the graffiti-laden home of Banksy is world-renowned for it’s vibrant street-art, and the equally illustrated Nelson Street (home of the See No Evil Festival) isn’t far behind. However, take a short walk to the top of the city and you’ll find the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery on Clifton Triangle displaying contrasting works of ancient and traditional art. The local art scene plays an important role here. Bristol’s colleges, universities, businesses and accomplished artists alike live and breathe the city’s arty vibe. Art Exhibitions in Bristol It’s for this reason that artists in Bristol have many opportunities to display their work. Community galleries provide the perfect place to showcase upcoming and existing talent. Galleries are seriously rife in Bristol; Centrespace, The Island, View, Lime Tree Gallery, and It’s all 2 much, are just a handful of establishments showcasing local and international art alike. At FineCal, we’ve had the privilege of supplying some of Bristol’s artists with the best adhesives to help create and display their artwork at galleries. Last year, we supplied the Velcro hook and loop tape and doubled sided tape for the Aardman Animations ‘Back to the Drawing Board’ Exhibition at Bristol’s M Shed. So, as we’re lucky enough to be engulfed in such an artistic community, we thought we would share our extensive adhesive knowledge with the artists out there. Preparing Art For An Exhibition Art comes in all shapes as sizes, so when displaying it in an exhibition, you should bear in mind that the weight of the work needs to supported for the duration of the event. It’s also important that the adhesive you use is invisible to the audience, and doesn’t damage your artwork. So what adhesives are best to use? Double-sided tapes are easily concealed, so there’s no evidence of their existence once they’ve been applied. The ease of application also makes them great for accurate placement. They also come in a variety of different strengths and sizes so it’s easy to find one that will support your particular work of art. Whether you have light, paper/cardboard based art that needs to be mounted to a wall, extremely large/heavy artwork that needs to be wall mounted, flexible adhesive that is strong but not permanent, or you need an adhesive to mount your artwork, we can advise on the best types of adhesive. Adhesive Transfer Tapes Adhesive transfer tapes are made from silicon or acrylic and allow you to easily arrange the adhesive to where you need it. Either apply the tape to the surface you want your work to be stuck, or on the art itself; the thin layer of adhesive will cause no swelling or bubbling on either surface making it ideal for artwork! For normal art pieces, this high tack 3M Adhesive Tape can hold cardboard, paper and fabrics. For the heavier bulky pieces, this 3M transfer tape can hold metal and glass. Hook and Loop Tape for Flexibility Unlike other double sided tapes, the nature of the hook and loop tape allows you to fasten and unfasten as many times as you need. This makes it ideal for artwork that will be exhibited in numerous galleries, or for exhibitors who want the freedom to change their exhibition around. Coupled with its ease of use, it’s this flexibility that makes hook and loop tape so popular for use in art exhibitions.

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