Glow-in-the-dark pigments pose a distinct challenge for conservators, and researchers are now working to keep these vivid colors from fading over time. Much of that work centers on the pieces created by the late designer Stephen Sprouse, whose bold graffiti prints and bright Day-Glo hues defined a punk-influenced style in the mid-1980s. Sprouse, who shaped the distinctive look of Blondie’s Debbie Harry, attracted admirers including Andy Warhol during his early collections.
Several examples of Sprouse’s designs are held in the textiles collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. Conservationists there are studying the phosphorescent and fluorescent pigments he used, aiming to understand the materials well enough to slow their dulling. Recent progress in that effort was presented this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Chicago.
The Science Behind the Glow
Scientists began describing glowing minerals as phosphors as far back as the Middle Ages. These materials typically absorb light, store the energy, and release it gradually as re-emitted light. That property played a role in a major scientific discovery: Henri Becquerel identified radioactive decay in 1896 while working with phosphorescent uranium salts, which fogged photographic plates left in a closed drawer without any light source.
Day-Glo paints rely on the related phenomenon of fluorescence. Day-Glo pigments fluoresce in daylight by converting ultraviolet light into visible light, producing brighter, more vibrant colors. Glow-in-the-dark toys, stickers, paints, fluorescent lamp coatings, cathode-ray tube televisions, and some clock dials all depend on phosphorescence. Glow sticks, by contrast, work through a chemiluminescent process rather than absorbed light.
From Wartime Use to Psychedelic Art
These pigments have a long history beyond fashion. During World War II, Day-Glo materials were used to make fluorescent fabric panels for U.S. ground troops, and Day-Glo black light paints helped Navy aircraft carrier crews guide planes landing at night. The same materials remain common today on traffic signage and safety gear.
Artists embraced phosphorescent and fluorescent materials extensively from the mid-20th century onward, most notably in psychedelic art and later in Sprouse’s designs. The museum’s holdings illustrate the range of his work, including a swath of spandex fabric featuring Day-Glo pink graffiti, an orange shirt and pants set carrying his trademark graffiti pattern, and a pantsuit trimmed with phosphorescent paillettes that appears white in ordinary light but glows green in the dark.
The preservation of these garments depends on identifying exactly how the pigments behave and degrade. By analyzing the chemistry of Sprouse’s materials, conservators hope to develop methods that keep the colors intact for future viewers. The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields acquired the Sprouse pieces through gifts and dedicated acquisition funds, including donations made in memory of the designer.
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Image: arstechnica.com
