Preserving glow-in-the-dark art and fashion for future generations
Understanding unique photochemistry of such materials will help in conservation, storage, and exhibition.
In the mid-1980s, designer Stephen Sprouse created a major impact with his collections that blended graffiti prints, a 60s aesthetic, and vivid Day-Glo colors, which gained admirers like Andy Warhol. The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields houses several of Sprouse's works in its textiles collection, where conservators are studying the phosphorescent and fluorescent pigments used in his designs to prevent color fading over time.
Experts shared recent progress in this research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Chicago. The term "phosphor" dates back to the Middle Ages when materials that glowed in the dark were first described. These materials absorb energy from light and emit it gradually as re-emitted light. In 1896, physicist Henri Becquerel discovered radioactive decay while working with phosphorescent uranium salts.
DayGlo paints and similar materials utilize fluorescence, converting UV light into visible light to create brighter, more vibrant colors.
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