“To frame or not to frame, is the option?” (Post 48)

As I was trying to think about what to write today, I paged through my archive and I saw an art work that made me very happy, because a rather well-off person took it from me and had it framed in a rather spectacular way; when I saw it I just liked it. A frame just does something to a work of art and even if it steals the attention completely, I think I still prefer to see a work of mine framed – if I have the means to put a frame around it.

I saw a quote that shares a sentiment about the frame and its “imposing” presence, and I have to agree. Chuck Palahniuk Choke said, “It’s funny how the beauty of art has so much more to do with the frame than the artwork itself.” For us hobby artists, the frame issue is a rather problematic one and we are never sure what to do: Shall we frame it? Or shall we try to sell it as it is, without any trimmings and let the art breathe without competition? Framing is expensive; you have no guarantee that you will sell the work and without the frame the artwork may look incomplete. This is a complex issue indeed, and there is more to it than what meets the eyes; it is mixture of fantasy, presentation, personal taste and aesthetics all whipped up and presented with a golden trimming and possibly behind glass too – it is a vision of peculiar perfection.

Every time I send an artwork to the framer I cannot wait for the call that will tell me it is ready and waiting for me. Why I am excited? Well, speaking for myself, the moment I see the work dressed up with its frame, my heart does a little bounce and I want to sing and dance; I get to see it the way I like it and the creative cycle of that particular work is then finally complete. Choosing the frame is another issue that can take time and it is very much like going to the optometrist and choosing a frame to suit your countenance: You want to look contemporary, but perhaps not too flashy? Or you deliberately want to have colour in the frame so that you can draw attention to your bright blue eyes?

Occasionally, the final outcome of this flattering framing trip (referring to the painting now) is not that encouraging. You see, after all the excitement I reveled in, and despite my “good” taste in frames, some customer will tell you, “I like the work but I don’t like the 'ugly' frame and the work must come out of it, could you please remove it?” Obviously then the customer wants discount too, because the frame price has to be deducted. (What do you do with that expensive frame that suited that lovely work that is now in other hands who will choose another frame?)

So, it is a complicated issue but it still remains an issue of elevation to me, because I need to see it that way. I feel elevated when I see my work promoted by the frame. There are a group of artists who refuse to dress up their work; they want the focus to be entirely on the work itself and some will tell you, they are not selling frames. They are saving time and money in the process; I must give them that, but when do they experience that happy little bouncing of the heart? (They hear the chinking coins dropping into their savings accounts? I should perhaps learn from them, but perhaps I like a little show business more?) May we all experience a few happy framed moments today.

The work was done in oil on board. I did not know one could put an oil colour work behind glass, but I learned that, when I saw this work behind glass, in 1999 and it looked just fine!