On the surface it is just paper, with ink on it. Vintage? Any. But time can sometimes be cruel. Not only because it passes too quickly, but also because, for all sorts of reasons, it can make some memories a little faded. Especially physical ones, like posters. Of anything: of a music album, a movie, an advertisement. There is art in these objects, indeed, especially in these. And not only behind the hands and canvases of top-rated artists. Here, those pieces of history printed on paper fibers, unfortunately, can respond badly to the passing years. But fortunately there are those who have decided to try to stop that time. Or rather, to celebrate it by restoring small traces of the past that have come down to the present day to their former glory. These are the poster restorers, a category that should be especially protected, not only for the wonderful work they do, but also for the service they render to art.
We discovered this on social, when in the swirling feed the algorithm came up with videos that literally kept us glued to the screen. Craftsmen who carefully soften paper fibers with filtered water and gentle detergents, apply sheets of Mylar to serenely handle posters when wet, use gallons and gallons of liquid to breathe life back into memories and pieces of history. Then they reassemble them on frames, coat them to make them more durable, repair them to cover torn or faded parts. The best and most viral? Fourth Cone Restoration, L’Affiche Française, Poster Conservation. Who, with their videos, certify masterful work in trying to breathe life back into what to some are mere pieces of paper, but actually become works of art again.
[📸 Instagram: affiche_francaise, fseart 📹 Instagram: affiche_francaise, fourthcone, posterconservation]
