STATE OF THE ART
Framing a picture is an art form in itself – and so is displaying your collection
FEATURE PATRICK HAMILTON COURTNEY
WHEN it comes to displaying art, the options in a framer’s arsenal present an opportunity to make or break a piece. Good, clever framing can greatly elevate simple or even pedestrian works, while badly considered, off-the-peg numbers can result in a diminishing effect on paintings and prints that may otherwise be enchanting.
We spoke with Harry Burden and Emily Taylor of Frame London, a bespoke studio that has worked with galleries including the V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts, who told us it all starts with the type of frame you choose: ‘For works on paper, most opt for either a box frame or a standard window mount frame, both of which are behind glass. Box frames offer depth that allows several different styles of mounting, while standard frames are shallower and are paired with traditional window mounts.’ When it comes to paintings on canvas, there are the standard frames most are familiar with – think the grand gilt frames you see in galleries – but a more modern take is the tray frame. ‘Requiring no glass, these consist of minimal wooden frames that wrap around the edge of the canvas, giving a smart contemporary look.’
Once you’ve picked a style of frame, it’s time to choose what it will be made out of. Typically, frames are made of wood or metal, but the variations and finishes of these two materials are huge. ‘We usually use handpainted or stained wooden frames and aluminium frames, but have also worked with materials such as brass, plaster, cardboard and eucalyptus. We highly recommend you visit galleries to get inspiration and work with a good framer to find a design that fits.’
If framing works on paper, you’ll need to make sure your mounting board is up to par. Harry and Emily advise: ‘The only real rules to framing are protecting an artwork. Always make sure you receive an acid-free conservation mount to ensure your pieces are protected in the years to come.’ Then comes picking a style: ‘There are three main mounting types. Float mounts allow the work to be seen in full with the paper edges visible. A raised float lifts the paper up from the backing mount so that it appears to levitate, while traditional window mounting cuts a window in the mountboard, which can be used to control how much of the print can be seen.’ Choosing the size of the mount border between art and frame requires a good eye. ‘Usually a client goes for a border that is proportionally balanced to the size of the work. We tend to keep it around 30mm. Too much can drown a piece, however we remember visiting the Bauhaus Museum in Berlin and seein
