GoKawiilChemists study Stephen Sprouse's glow-in-the-dark textiles to prevent fading
Conservators at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields are researching the phosphorescent and fluorescent pigments used by late fashion designer Stephen Sprouse in his 1980s Day-Glo creations, aiming to prevent the colors from dulling with age. They presented their findings this week at an American Chemical Society meeting in Chicago, tracing the chemistry behind glow-in-the-dark materials from historical phosphor research to modern DayGlo pigments.
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Understanding the chemical degradation of these unstable pigments could help museums preserve important pieces of fashion and design history that traditional conservation techniques struggle to protect. The research also links a niche of textile preservation to broader chemistry with applications ranging from safety gear to historical scientific discoveries like radioactivity.
- Newfields conservators are studying Stephen Sprouse's Day-Glo textiles to slow pigment fading
- Research was presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in Chicago
- Phosphorescent and fluorescent chemistry underpins everyday items from glow toys to traffic signage
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Published there as: “How chemistry can keep glow-in-the-dark pigments from fading”
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