Is glass necessary over a print?

On the final night of APIS there was a gallery opening for Kenro Izu. His beautiful images were presented framed without glazing. What a pleasure it was to be able to see all of the wonderful detail in his 14x20 platinum prints direct from in camera film negatives.

How many out there are presenting images in this way? I have considered it for a while and have a few presented thus, but not all.

Jim

I normally present cyanotypes that way. Having done so initially by an accident in ordering frames and mats, I found I liked showing the texture of the paper.

I've done that for the first (and only so far) exhibit I've done. It was in a café and I decided that I was not going to spend all that money to put prints under glass. What I did was I simply glued selenium-toned RC prints over foamcore. I reasoned that the prints would get attacked anyway by particles in the air, so even a glass wouldn't make a big difference.

On the other hand, when I dropped by the Stephen Bulger gallery in Toronto once, I saw B&W prints by Volker Seding that were framed without glass. They were the finest fibre prints, slight warmtone, and were catching the light beautifully without the glass. Of course, their environment is well controlled.

I think, ideally, we'd all like to show prints that way. Unfortunately environments often dictate the use of glaze for protection. Similarly, when people get their noses up on it for a close inspection (which I encourage) they are often talking. That's when the spit usually starts flying....

For one show I did, I mounted my (gum) prints onto cradled panels and presented them without glass or frames. I covered the sides of the panels as well, to give them a finished look, and used beeswax to protect the surface of the print. A rather alternative presentation, but then I'm an alternative gal.
Katharine

I've shown my carbon prints without glass...wonderful. But ended up having to toss most of the window mats...fortunately I was using 4-ply back then instead of the 8-ply I use now. I was using wood frames and some of the woodstain discolored the edges of the mats.

but I would do it again...but with taking some precautions with the frames.

Vaughn

If you can get away without glass all the better but if you are using window mats(and I presume they will be expensive acid free ones!) you will need the glass to stop grime and fly s#*t spoiling them. I know that glass can be annoying but there is really no alternative if you use mats and are displaying them long term.
Tony

At the shows, their are many sticky fingers!
I have to put everything on the walls under glass.
But at home, on my walls I leave it off.
That anti-reflective stuff is really expensive!
DT