Fort Worth Star-Telegram 

Long ago and far away I lived with an inherited painting that I could never love. I hung it all over the house but neither I nor the painting was happy. Finally I admitted that the problem was the frame. Although it was beautiful and costly, it was wrong for the subject and style of the work itself. It competed with the painting rather than completing it.

This “disconnect” between a work of art and its frame is not uncommon, and providing the right frame for your work can ratchet its “star-power” considerably. Though it can be a nuanced process, and A-type personalities may think they need a spreadsheet, the results are worth your time and consideration.

First off, does one frame to the work itself, or to where it will hang? Keeping in mind the aesthetic purpose of framing, which is to present a work of art to its best advantage, I believe you can do both if you give the work itself the greater consideration. That means keeping in mind the subject of the work, style, scale, medium, color, and even, perhaps, framing preferences in the era in which the work was produced.

Still, the frame has the secondary mission of working within its surroundings. After all, it’s your work of art in your environment. What’s the style of your home or office? Where will you hang your artwork? Is it the focal point? What else will be on the walls in that room?

Framing trends come and go like every other fashion. I’m looking at a watercolor my mother bought in 1960. The frame is really dated-looking in terms of scale (skinny), style (plain) and the color of the wood (maple!). The linen liner is less than fresh (grimy), and I’m sure the mat is not acid-free. It’s very mid-century, which is currently in vogue, but it doesn’t really work with the rest of the room. However, if I reframe the watercolor to work with the room, will I later be sorry, like I am for painting over the 1920s gilded paneling in a house I once owned? I cringe today for that desecration. Compromise: I will take the watercolor to the framer for a fresh acid-free mat and UV-filtering glass and then decide about that frame.

If you haven’t had a piece framed lately, get ready for sticker shock. Framing is expensive, and you can’t estimate what a frame should cost by what you paid for the work of art. The frame may end up costing more than the piece itself, especially when it comes to prints or photographs. Works on paper (and that includes watercolors, drawings, etc.) must be matted and covered with glass or acrylic to preserve and protect the work, which adds to the cost of materials and labor.

If you need a mat for your art, ask for an archival mat and backing which has been treated to remove most of the acid, lignins and other impurities which can, over time, damage the art. Please have your framer use hinges to mount works on paper. This protective technique allows the art to expand or contract with changes in humidity.

Aesthetically, mats separate the art from the surrounding wall treatment, which lets your art be seen more clearly. They provide depth to the work, especially if you choose a thick mat or use more than one. Fabric mats add texture. The width of the mat should be larger than the frame molding. If your artwork has a rough or deckled edge, consider float mounting.

Get out the spreadsheet for your glazing choices. There is regular clear glass as well as UV-filtering glass, anti-reflective, non-glare, museum and conservation glasses, clear acrylic, non-glare acrylic, and UV-filtering acrylic. The range in prices can be very large, and there are also considerations of the size of the piece and where the piece will be hung. Here’s where a good framer can guide you in making the best choice for your art.

While there are big-box stores and framing chain stores where one can frame a piece to order, be aware of potential downsides. The employees may have received little training in framing beyond how to do it, which leaves the consideration of aesthetic issues and the ultimate frame choice in your court. There’s also the issue of the quality of the frame. Pairing a cheap-looking frame with a prized work of art can detract from enjoying the work as a whole. Fortunately, the independent frame shop has not gone the way of the corner grocery store. Independent owners are there for the long haul, and value well-trained staff and quality materials, as well as word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers. Go into a few of these independent shops and look at the framed pieces awaiting pick-up. Study the frame choices. Ask friends whom they use for their framing.

I must be blunt here and say that some framers are so in love with the creative side of framing that they tend to “over-frame” a work: too elaborate a frame for the style of the work or the medium, too many mats in the wrong colors, cut-outs in the mats, etc. The frame may be very interesting or beautiful on its own, but will it end up dominating the work? You don’t want to notice the frame before your eyes move onto the art itself.

Some paintings are presented without a frame, using a gallery wrap method. Here the canvas wraps around the sides of the stretcher bars and is secured to the back of the wooden “frame” so that any staples or tacks are not visible on the side. The sides are painted a solid color, or the painting may continue onto the sides.

While this may seem to solve the framing issue (Hey! Free frame!), it’s not always the best aesthetic solution for the work in your own surroundings. My opinion is that this method works best with larger pieces, in more contemporary settings, and with other works that are similarly or minimally framed. If the work is finished in a sloppy manner, with pieces of unprimed canvas sticking out, get it fixed or go for a frame. Otherwise it will look as if you have hung it on the wall and just never got around to getting it to the framer. I know. I lived with a painting that I chose to call gallerywrapped. While the large portion of my brain devoted to rationalizations said, “It looks arty that way,” the rather small section that deals with reality kept telling me that it just looked bad. I gave the painting to my sister, who framed it appropriately, and now I want it back.

A word of warning: once you get into framing, and what it can do for your art, you’ll find yourself studying your frames, your friends’ frames, museums’ frames, galleries’ frames. If you become a Frame Critic, just remember it’s a harmless pastime, and can bring you lots of fun, although probably not fortune or fame. At least that’s been my experience.

-Judy Nelson