Framers who destroy art

JohnR

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Posts
542
Loc
Ohio
Back in the old days some did and perhaps some still do:

http://home.att.net/~jriegle/p1.jpg

This is the back of an etching (edition of 100) from 1972. Looks to be framed from about the same time. Note the yellowed fiber reinforced tape used around all sides! Also note the cockling from no expansion room. Sheesh :(
 
Ahhhhhhhh, my bread and butter.


Rebecca
 
It's always interesting to open up other shops work and see just how they have done things...some of the things they do just make you sick. That is one thing that always sits in the back of my mind so that when I do someones framing for them I always do the very best that I can do so that whoever opens MY work later on down the line will not have something to look down their nose at and make negative comments on. And it makes my proud to put my sticker on the back of any work that I have done knowing that I have done my very best,
 
When I began learning to frame at my first job back in 1969 my boss, whom I lovingly refer to as Kramer the Framer, insisted that the absolute worst thing that could happen to a frame package was for the matting to "pull away" from the artwork - he taught us all how to carefully place masking tape (eek!) all around all four edges of every piece of unmounted paper art.

If the item was drymounted, and it usually was, then he taught us to use white glue close to the inner edges of the matting to prevent this terrible gap problem.

I do believ the concept of hinging would have unhinged (so to speak) this dear man.

But as a gentleman told me as I was reframing the artwork for his museum display and I recognized one of the pieces as a mat I had cut back in the early seventies - "Don't feel bad, young (!) lady - we didn't know any better back then!"
 
I just found out that a framer in my area drymmounts all the stitchery that comes in his shop. Where are the framing police when you need them?

(He drymounts them to 4U, or illistration board. Can't even use acid free foam core!) :rolleyes:
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Kramer's method of "mounting" needlework, especially wool needlepoint: Soak the piece and block the heck out of it. Let dry - glue with liberal amounts of white glue to upsom board. Mash until totally flat and dry under very heavy (about 3" thickness of plywood)weights - then - trim off that awful white canvas edge so it is nice and neat.

But by God they were FLAT!!!

Gives me the shivers just thinking about it - but you know, he framed them that way for many years and my shop is only a mile away from his (he is long dead) but not one single one of those pieces has ever been brought to me for refitting or re-framing. Hmmm...

They must still be FLAT!
 
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