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A Few Noteworthy TIPS for Hanging Art:
Hang the art so the center of the piece is at the eye level of an average-sized person. This means the center of the piece should be about 5 feet and 6 inches from the ground.
Alternate the size of images when hanging work on the same wall. Small pieces should be about half the size of the larger piece it precedes. This adds balance to your display.
Think of several pieces of art as a single unit. Keep the spacing between constant.
If placing different size images on one wall as a group, align the bottoms of some frames with the tops of others or center some pieces on top of each other. Keep the larger pieces toward the bottom if stacking images.
Hang the center piece of art first. Use this as a reference point for all of the other pieces.
On staircases, duplicate the rise of the staircase. Images must be kept the same distance from one picture to the next.
Templates can be created out of brown paper and adhered to the wall with blue “painter’s tape” especially if you’re having difficulty assessing where to hang each image. This gives you the flexibility to move them around prior to adhering them more permanently to the wall.
Galleries prefer hanging unframed art by using one of two methods. The first is to use “T pins” in each of the four corners of the piece. They are the most inexpensive option and ascetically attractive. Since “T pins” are rather long you can add dimension and appeal to your art by sliding the image up the pin, away from the wall. This will add a shadow between the art and the wall itself causing a very interesting effect.
The second option is to place the image between foam core (as a backing) and Plexiglas (or glass) over the top, with the image inserted in-between. Hardware to secure the three layers to each other, and then to the wall, can be purchased through hanging hardware suppliers or craft centers.
On-line Bloggers talk about other ways to hang art, for instance, using the various new removable tape products from “3M", Velcro-tape and magnets. If it’s not a permanent installation, gallerists do not recommend you try these. Apparently, even the removable tapes leave a residue that is difficult to paint over without priming first.
Here’s an original idea for a rotating “gallery” at home or in your studio, try gluing large hardware “washers” to a focal wall. You can paint over them lightly or leave them a raw metallic. Purchase magnets to hang unframed prints to the washers.
:::This Week's Recommended Reading:::
The Digital Dialectic: New Essays on New Media
(Leonardo Books) (Paperback) by Peter Lunenfeld (Editor) $30.00 US
10 Suggestions for Critiquing Your Own Artwork:
(1) Lay aside the artwork for several days before considering it “final.” The longer you wait, the more details you'll catch in your critique.
(2) Assess your gut response to the image. This is after all the most important element of your art. Accept that you may not fully like the image but find aspects of the work excellent.
(3) Spend a few minutes looking at your work without judging it. This is like reviewing the contents of a textbook before reading it. It heightens your awareness of the details and prepares you to examine each one to see how they all fit together.
(4) Identify the strongest areas of the piece. What does your eye see first? Is it what you want the spectator of your art to see?
(5) Consider the title, if it has one, even for your own reference purposes. This will help you determine if you have created what you want to communicate.
(6) Notice how your eye travels across the image. If the piece is full of tiny details your eye should pause slightly at each one. Traditionally, strong strokes and harmonious colors cause your gaze to sweep down the picture. Consider how this fits in with the subject matter.
(7) Concentrate on the color scheme. Pain and suffering aren't usually conveyed with soft colors, for instance. Vivid reds, yellows and oranges often stimulate rather than relax. Of course, there can be a contradiction between the theme and your color pallet. For example, pastel colors depicting a violent scene can be very evocative and telling.
(8) Critique the artwork's weakest spots last. Concentrate on what will communicate your ideas/thoughts/emotions best.
(9) Artists can be very hard on themselves and often never fully satisfied with their work. There comes a time when you need to let it go. Recognizing when it’s time to either put it aside or take it to the public can be challenging. Be careful not to “over-process” your work losing it’s original intensity and depth. Creating art is very personal and often cathartic. In the end pleasing yourself is what is most important.
(10) Finally, there are no rules in art only guidelines. Determine what works best for you personally and then make it happen. If the goal is to share your art, then you must establish a process that is effective. If you have given the piece the time and attention it needs to be considered “finished,” don’t be afraid to share it with others considering the pros and cons of any feedback you may receive.
Do you have novel ideas about hanging artwork? Care to share? Write me.
A Scam Warning to Artists:
A MOCA artist writes: "Can you imagine how thrilled I was to receive an order for seven of my works
to be printed in very large sizes from a woman who said she was in Dallas,TX.?
Correspondence went on for weeks and finally today I receive a check by UPS
for more than double the agreed upon amount. The works were to be picked up
by a third party shipping company for shipment to her husband's new business
in Africa. When I received the check for a larger amount than expected and
when it was not a cashier's check I became suspicious and found an art scam
report on www.artscams.com Read Item #1, “Be Skeptical.” I have informed my client that my terms have not changed, I need a cashier’s [bank] check for the exact amount.
"
IN-BOX:
Dear MOCA artists and friends,
I have had difficulty reading incoming comments due to language barriers. In order to give all of the “Mary’s Page” contributors representation I have attempted to translate them through Babylon Translation Software into English. I apologize if I have misinterpreted or have inadvertently omitted information. Your input and comments are welcome and appreciated! Thank you, Mary
[Referencing last week's "Mary's Page," 17 August, 2009]
"The good site, I look very even, not bad." From = Aleksei
"It seems to me, the disadvantages in this case [have] far superior merits."
"Thanks for [this page]."
"[Regarding] the article, thank you. There is considerable [talent from] those that have already applied in practice." From = Redeye
"The author of the [page] is very good and needed [by] people. Thanks:) From = Rodion
"With reference to your article: Does Art Have to Have Meaning?
If we are to be influenced by art, or craft, that is purely appealing we could more easily spend our time looking at the clouds in the sky, at their never ending vista of apparitions. Or alternatively, seeking out art, or craft that is decorative or vacuous; bubble-gum for the eyes.
Of relevance: attached is link to a great essay by my tutor and mentor the philosopher Dr. Ed Winters (See essay).
He was a student of the late Richard Wollheim.
Quote
“The holy grail is to spend less time making the picture than it takes people to look at it.”
This page posted 24 August 2009
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