Framed art

Framed art as the name suggests is art that has been framed. The most obvious question is – What is the point of framing art? , and the most obvious answer seems to be, So that it can be displayed. True, but there’s more to it. A picture frame, besides making a piece of art easier to hang greatly enhances its look and feel and also allows you to protect what you’ve strived to achieve as a material expression of your vision.

It is very important to choose a suitable frame in order that it gives an additional charm to an already charming piece of work. Conventionally, frames were wooden rectangles, but today we have carved and polished wood frames and also a variety of textures and tones o choose from. Metal and fiber are other materials employed innovatively in this industry.

Coming back to protection, some people laminate their paintings while others prefer to use glass panes and still others choose to leave them unprotected (it is a subjective need to the media used  and environment the work is placed in). Just like frames, the glass also has types. For example U.V. filter coated glass or ‘den glass’ – a highly priced variety which does not reflect light and is hence invisible.

Some simple pointers which are a great help if kept in mind while framing are as follows - The picture appears smaller if surrounded by a dark coloured frame and larger when the frame is a lighter shade. For pastel and charcoal work it is important that the picture is well adhered to the backing and does not touch the glass, if any. The use of glass at a slight distance from the picture is advisable for works with pastel as their medium because they are very prone to sticking dust particles and smudging on contact with the glass. Leaving a tiny gap at the lower end of the frame so that dust can settle in the matt is also a good idea.

One must double check and make sure that the cord used for hanging the frames in reliable and can take the weight of the painting (or other art form). Other factors to be taken into consideration when choosing a frame are -  where you would like to display the framed art and whether or not it is to be displayed at one exclusive location, and would you like to re-use the frame?

 ‘L’, ‘F’, clip, box and shadow box frames are some styles of frames among others. A buyer doubtlessly pays more for framed art than he would for that without the surround. The elevation in price predictably ranges in accordance with the value of framing material and the presence of detail such as texture or carving on it.