MITRA Forum Question Details

 I think this application requires a sturdier panel material. ​I have seen boards that thin easily distorted by the force of shrinking fabric or paper.

​Hi there....not sure if you have had a chance to look at our resources section, but some of the questions you pose above are addressed there (for example in our "Rigid Supports" document that you can find here: https://www.artcons.udel.edu/mitra/Documents/MITRA_Rigid_Supports.pdf). Take a look and let us know if you have more questions!

Hi Koo.

I am answering, rather than Kristin, as this position on MITRA originated with myself. It is my view that the stresses inherent in plywood, due to the way in which the plys are created, will very often create checking in the ground over time. I base this on decades of looking as students and professionals who used birch ply and other supposed higher quality plywoods, and simply applied a glue, casein, or acrylic dispersion ground over the sized plywood. So many of these developed checks along the grain lines overtime, often these were visible the first time they were displayed. This subject has been discussed earlier here on MITRA but I see that you commented on the salient thread. Kristin and I were just on a panel at CAA. One of the panelists (Rustin Levenson coauthor if Seeing Through Paintings and owner of three large and busy private conservation firms across the US) showed examples of delamination of individual plys in works that have been in her conservation studios.

It is certainly true that wooden panels can and do have a host of potential problems, but the above is less the case than warping. I do believe that a canvas interlayer is a smart and possibly integral choice for solid wood panels as well. Now other experts may disagree with my general assessment. The opinion espoused in our resources section and on the forum is based primarily on my long-term observations and conversations with others in the field.

Sorry for not being clear. We just returned for NYC last night and my brain was not up to par. I am not saying that plywood creates greater stresses due to the laminate state just that tensions inherent in the manufacturing means that without a barrier, the grain will telegraph (as you put it) through the ground layers. I believe (but am not positive) that the delamination of plys were a result of impacts to the corners of the artwork executed on plywood. Certainly, hardboard panels are even more sensitive to impacts to the sides and corners so that is a separate issue.  I am also not saying that all plywood panels are equal. Birch plywood is the material that I see most often (ignoring works executed on cheap common plywood) and have seen dozens/hundreds of examples of this checking (or telegraphing). I do suspect that the very nature of plywood would promote this defect to varying degrees with all plywoods but it would require a long term study with different plywood, size layers, grounds, and paint media to make a definitive statement on the subject.