Framing is an art akin to alchemy. The framer must choose from a mind-boggling number of
styles and sizes, making sure the frame and mat match not only the artwork but the
client's décor, and using materials that preserve rather than harm the art. But when it
works--when your beloved piece is safely and artfully ensconced on your living room wall--it
is a wonder to behold. "A good frame is an extension of a work of art," says Evelyn Avery
of Avery Art & Fine Framing in Atlanta. "If I'm doing my job properly, I'm going to
enhance the piece, never detract from it."
Lacking the skills and tools (and patience) for
at-home framing, most people hire experts to do the job--and so they should. Still, it's
nice to get involved in the process. If nothing else, being conversant in the craft will
help you choose a framer of quality.
The best framers are consistent, creative craftsmen
who leave their customers satisfied and eager to hand over their next piece of frame-needy
art. Just as important, though, is that they be conservationally correct. Many so-called
custom framers--an imprecise term connoting quality but not always guaranteeing it--will cut
corners and skimp on materials. For instance, they might use mats that are mostly but not
completely acid-free. Over time, these mats give off harmful toxins, a process known as
"out-gassing," which can destroy your art.
"Have you ever seen newspaper start to disintegrate?" asks Ellen Barber-Rackley,
Avery's production manager. "It turns colors and
starts to smell. Those are the acids and resins that are naturally in paper pulp." The
best framers use only rag board, which is 100 percent acid-free, for backing and matting.
Likewise, conservation glass, which helps prevent fading by blocking harmful ultraviolet
rays, is important for most works of art since they will likely be exposed to light,
whether artificial or sunlight, direct or indirect. Some art (oil paintings, works on
canvas) does not get glass. But for watercolors, drawings, and other works on paper that
do, paying extra for this special protection is money well spent. And if there is any risk
of a piece falling off the wall, opt for Plexiglas, which also comes in plain or
UV-blocking versions.
The conservation rules are pretty cut-and-dried. Style, however, is
another thing entirely. Luckily, there are some rules of thumb to help you choose between
antique and new, ornate and simple, gold and silver.
Most framers want to know where the
art will hang. "If you're doing a woman's bedroom, you don't want something that's
masculine and heavy. You want something that's gold and pretty and delicate," says Jeffrey
Marchand, whose shop, Jeffrey Marchand Frames and Decorations, shares a space with the New
Orleans culinary antiques shop Lucullus. To give your framer a feel for your decorating
tastes, take along paint chips and fabric samples from the room where the piece will hang.
Others place more emphasis on the work itself. "We frame for the art," says Jenny
Jumpeter, head designer at Myott Studio, an Atlanta frame shop. Generally speaking, she
recommends gold frames for warmer colors, such as yellows and reds, and silver frames for
cooler greens, blues, and purples. Contemporary work typically calls for cleaner lines.
Traditional work often looks better with a certain level of ornamentation, or at least an
older-looking frame. The cool geometry of a Mondrian, for instance, might look good in
12-karat white gold or even sleek stainless steel, while a 19th-century landscape might be
better dressed in distressed silver with decorative corner rosettes. As for frame shape,
look again to the subject matter for clues. Clean, hard lines call for a simple,
flat-edged frame, while figurative paintings or other works characterized by curves beg
for frames with rounded edges.
A growing trend in the art world is to remarry older works
with period frames. "If you have a painting done in the 18th century, it is appropriate to
have an 18th-century frame on it," says Larry Shar, president of the New York-based Julius
Lowy Frame and Restoring Company, which offers some 4,000 frames spanning six centuries
and ranging in price from $5,000 to $250,000. They might cost more, but the workmanship
can be exquisite," says Shar.
For photographs and works on paper, you will also need to
choose a mat. While a mat lends a finished look, it also offers protection, keeping the
paper from sticking to the glass. "My rule of thumb 99.99 percent of the time is that the
mat should be the same color as the paper," says Avery. "It should just fade away. Our
frames are extraordinary, and what we frame is extraordinary. I don't want anyone to focus
on the mat."
In her mat choices, as in her frame choices, Avery strives for a look that is
tasteful and timeless. Like other fine framers, she frames for longevity, both in terms of
workmanship and classic styles. "We make our frames to last through the ages," Avery says.
"I hope that one day, 150 years from now, someone admiring a frame will turn it over, look
at the back, and see an Avery brand."
Sources:
Avery Fine Art and Framing
764 Miami Circle
Suite 120
Atlanta, GA 30324
404/266-8880
Jeffrey Marchand Frames and Decoration
610 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504/528-9620
Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Co.
223 East 80th Street
New York, NY 10021
212/861-8585
Myott Studio
30 East Andrews Drive
Atlanta, GA 30305
404/233-2063
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