Visual Language I, fall 2005, Jane D. Marsching

Visual Language I
Fall 2006, Massart

Jane D. Marsching email
office 3rd floor south 309 , hours: Mon 1:30-3 Tue 2-3:30 signup sheet is on the door

G L U E S

syllabus monday

Carefully consider what kind of glue to use for each task. Test the glue on the materials you plan to use and at that same scale. Paper is water sensitive. Water based glues will warp your paper and they will make it difficult, if not impossible, to separate the two glued surfaces. For these reasons, do not use water based glues such as gluestick, PVC, wall paper paste, Elmer’s, Sobo or any other white glues on paper. In addition, do not use crazy glue or contact cement or epoxy on paper. When working on paper, you want to be able to keep your options open, be able to change things - whether in ten minutes or in ten years. There are a few glues that will enable you to do this:

1.TRANSFER TAPE: Ideal for paper. It does not release toxins in the environment. It does not warp the paper. It is removable with the use of rubber cement thinner, and can be easily cleaned up with a rubber cement pickup. Its only limitation is that it isn’t spread on or sprayed. It comes as a roll of tape. Transfer tape is produced by several manufacturers and is available in a number of widths.

2.SPRAY ADHESIVE: This is a good glue to use for small surfaces, say for pieces of paper five inches or under. This glue is not healthy to breathe, nor is it good for the earth’s atmosphere. Use with adequate ventilation. And before you purchase a can, read the labels of the types available in order to determine the most environmentally friendly kind to buy. Also read the label of the can to see instructions on the application of the glue. In certain circumstances, and if you follow the instructions, there are ways to remove the two glued surfaces. It also depends on how durable the paper is you’re using as to whether the paper will survive separation without ripping. Rubber cement thinner will sometimes release the glued surfaces. Do not try to use this product for gluing large surfaces of paper to a foam core, mat board or any time of cardboard. The reason not to do this is that it starts out looking swell, then, as the humidity changes, the glue will release in places causing bubbles between the paper and the foamcore or board. For large surface gluing use a hinge (I will explain in class) or, if you must, drymount.

3. RUBBER CEMENT: Rubber cement appears to be ideal but it is not. Although it is removable (with rubber cement thinner) and is easy to clean up (with a rubber cement pickup), after a few years it no longer holds and it permanently stains the paper brown! If you must use it only do so with adequate ventilation.

NOTE: Ask questions about gluing for particular projects. 3D materials use completely different glues. Also art is about expressing your ideas. Perhaps you want to make a statement with the type of adhesive material that you choose. There is a twin brother team called the Starn Twins that used scotch tape as a signature material in their work.