Thursday 15 December 2011

Frames

Ok, so it took me longer than I thought to actually get round to this new post. However I am back now! The long post still not quite there but I’m aiming to finish is now I have motivation for the blog again. I discovered I need to rant about something... frames. 





I never like framing my own work, it seems to smother it somehow, but my work isn’t important in the grand scheme of things. My outrage is an internal one that bugs me pretty much every time I walk in a gallery.
Frames are greatly useful, and the effect of them can be beneficial to the composition. But recently I keep finding paintings completely dwarfed by the ostentations decoration of some half a foot thick wooden mass restricting it.

I discovered this annoyance when walking through a Lowry exhibition and I realised that this has actually bugged me for years. I have started to discover that the white box, idea of galley space doesn’t appeal to me and always feels so sterile. I could walk around galleries for hours but feel shattered by the end as it’s a methodical journey from one picture plane to the next; yet walking through Klaus Webbers spectacle of an exhibition in Nottingham Contemporary I could spend hours and only feel more energetic after.
I think what I'm getting at here is why does the work have to stop several centimetres before the edge of the canvas to allow for a frame. I feel that occasionally this really disrupts the feel of the painting.



There are times when frames are majorly beneficial though; I have recently been studying Hogarth’s 4th print of his series An Election, and the frame does wonders for creating a sense of wonder and discovery within the chaos of the celebratory parade. It entices you into the foreground space and makes you ask que4stions about the displayed characters and their personalities.

My opinion will change painting to painting, but I know I never want to frame my work. Though in fairness my work seems to only last a few months before it is whitewashed anyway! =)
I just feel sorry for artist’s ad paintings which have been oppressed by their frames!

Anyway this is my short rant to get back into Blogging, I’ll be back very soon!

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