How do you present your art work ?

[Helen Suzanne]

There's a local exhibition which I'd like to put some work into and once again I'm stumped as to the presentation of mixed-media and textile art pieces. I don't do quilts so would like to stay away from that format as much as possible, also I want to avoid framing with glass for aesthetic reasons. I've mounted textile pieces on square canvas with some degree of success before, but would like a different feel to the presentation this year so I thought I'd ask for your help. What are some of the most interesting ways of hanging/presenting work that you've seen?

[Karen]

I like the way your piece "silver birch" is presented.

Presentation is an eternal question for me. A lot of my work up until recently was "framed and glazed" because that is what the buying public wanted. If I got a £1.00 every time someone asked "but how do you dust it" about an unglazed piece of work I would be a rich woman! :)

I like the rough edges on textile pieces and I like when the "support" is not obvious so that the piece seems suspended against the wall

I look forward to the replies you get to this question

K

[sharon young]

I like the idea of framing work between two pieces of perspex with 4 bolts one in each corner to hold the them together. I haven't managed to acheive this yet, although I've bought the sheet ready to cut, and want to try it at our next exhibtion. This of course would only work for fairly flat work.
After mounting and framing about 20 pieces last time, I'm desperate not to have to do that again, so I'm looking to mount work on canvases, but again this is a new venture for me so I'm not sure how it will go.

[Helen Suzanne]

Thanks Karen. That one was mounted on a slightly smaller pre-stretched canvas.

[arlee barr]

I'm in a dilemma about this as well. If you mount it on stretcher bars, it won't get accepted into certain shows, but some pieces *need* the support. Quilt sleeves do not always work, and sometimes aren't appropriate for the effect. Mounting on a proper mat may work, but i don't like the idea of glass or flattening between perspex for my stuff--too dimensional!
At the same time, framing seems to elevate the status of the work, and more people will accept it *as* Art, if it's presented in a "traditional" format for display.
Each piece has to be figured out--i think when i start things now, i'm going to have to figure out how it will be displayed first! :} Perhaps the "frame" in whatever form should be part of the piece, an integrated component, not an afterthought....

[sharon young]

That's a very good point, after all the presentation is part of the work. Occasionally I see nice frames and buy them because I know I have just the piece of work to fit them and suit the style, but it doesn't happen often. There are some very good 3D frames on the market now that suit textured work, especially small pieces.

[Helen Suzanne]

Quite agree. The presentation/mounting/framing of a piece is all part of the original concept for lots of people, especially I think if you're doing a series of work for a particular purpose, say a solo exhibition where you can create some "theatre" with the work. What do they call it... ah, installations. Would love to play at that one!

[arlee barr]

Normally i wouldn't be as "self serving" to post this from my blog, but one of the comments is from an artist who also does professional framing---her thoughts are well worth the read!
http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal/2007/10/24/the-art-o...

[Helen Suzanne]

A very interesting read Arlee. Thanks :)
A frame can certainly make a difference, and mounting.. well choosing colours and framing to bring out the best in a piece is a real skill and I've personally only had one framer who was actually any good at it.

It's interesting to see the Gallery owner/expert's opinion too about a white mount and simple wooden frame. I used to choose off white and plain wide wood for my oils just to give them some room to be seen as they where quite detailed. Avoiding textiles behind glass is mostly an expense thing these days so I had been stretching work over canvas or applying it to ready-made canvas. I'd then be relying on the wall around the unframed canvas to give the breathing space for the piece. One Gallery owner who visited the exhibition did comment that she hated framed textiles. She wanted her textiles to look like textiles and not pretend to be paintings. I've since had to discount this though as I heard later that she had new textile work in her Gallery this year that she'd had framed for the artist, with the in vogue "raggedy edges" look within the glazed frame. I also heard of another Gallery owner tell a textile artist to try the local craft fair without even looking at her portfolio. So in the true spirit of building bridges I don't mind being one of those who choose to present their work in an acceptable "artistic" fashion. As to whether it's art or not? Only the beholder can decide for themselves eh!

[sharon young]

Well put Helen!

[arlee barr]

Oh, no! I, and Susan, have no problem with properly "presented" textile art at all! The original discussion had been whether some stuff was suddenly "art" *because* it had been framed!
Of course, this leads right back to the whole "art vs craft" argument........

[Helen Suzanne]

Ah that eternal hot potato ;) We could have a challenge to take one subject say from a photo and make 2 pieces of work from it... one to be art and the other craft (out of mixed media fibres of course).... maybe then we could solve the riddle.

[Karen]

I was lucky.
Before I moved to Wales I had a brilliant framer. She was very talented at framing textiles. And when Linda and I were exhibiting we always had positive comments about the quality of the framing
http://www.fringearts.co.uk/

However - if you are getting a body of work together - and you have to pay the framing cost for 20 + pieces of work - the bill for framing is frightening. It also adds a big chunk onto the price of the piece if you are selling your work.

Presentation is part of the whole piece and I believe should be considered from the outset.
So I think it all comes down to what is appropriate for the piece, both in terms of the individual piece, and in terms of the body of (your own) work it will be exhibited with. Or the wall you want to hang it on.
k