Original Aboriginal--See both sides?

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Mecianne

Mecianne

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Jan 7, 2005
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Alabama
Ok....here goes: Kate from Australia just called. Referred by another customer who just raved about us. Kate has brought with her from Australia an original Aboriginal piece of art on canvas. Front is all symbolic. Back explains the symbols. She is concerned with not covering the back, so she can looka t it any time she wants.

She asked about double sided frames. Problem...I have never done one of these. I haven't seen the piece yet (she is coming in tomorrow), but it is canvas & is about 9 1/2" x 21 1/4". Would you mat & use spacers? I have never matted anything on canvas either. Just doesn't sound like a cool idea to do it this way.

Sandwiching is out. She & the piece would end up coming back to haunt me.

I also suggested that Derek photograph the back of the canvas, make her a photographic print and we stick this in a sleeve attached to the back of the frame. (This is what I am hoping she chooses.)

But to be prepared for the worst, do any of you brilliant framers have any suggestions. And again, this will be hung against the wall. Aussie Kate just wants to be able to pull it down and view it at her leisure.

Maybe a dull blade, never a dull moment....


Thanks in advance
 
Your in luck,

The last "I must see the back " job I took in went like this.

The piece was matted and hinge mounted on plexi.(it wasn't worth much) Then I cut another mat with a slightly bigger opening and put that one behind the plexi.

Their was glass on the front, then mat, then art, then plexi, then wider opening mat all in one frame.

This way when viewed from the back you could read all the info and had a nice appearance and it sat in 1 frame instead of a double which they didn't want to pay for.

If this made no sense or even scared you a little ask for more details and if I check this thread again (?) I will try to eleaborate.

(Been a long day)
 
If you can, please elaborate. I am very easily confused. That's my problem not yours! ;) Will this work on a canvas? How do I mount it (the canvas)to the matboard? Oh gracious, I like it when projects like this come in & I learn something new & then they are out the door along with these worries I am having.

I thought Aussies were fond of saying "No worries"....hmph.
 
No worries mate. and dont forget "she'll beright"

More than likely it a western desert piece of art. Much of the writting on the back will relate to the symbols on the front. The writting on the back is probably in black texta(marker) The writing also usually has the story of the dreamtime creators and probably the name and language group (tribe) of the artist. Have you thought of just creating an opening at the back. More than likely she only want the back open to refer to the meaning of the symbols. Think about the following and use it if you wish.

Stretch the canvas and place the frame around it. Use a piece of foam core and cut an opening same as you would on a mat for a photograph. Large enough to read what is on the back.
Attach the foam core to the back of the stretcher bar so you can read the writting. This should create a one inch gap between the back of the canvas and the foam core, similar to boxing.
Tidy all this up using brown paper. Stick the brown paper on the edge of the frame and across the foam core and around the edge of the hole you have created.

You will then have a neat opening for people to view what is on the back , You hide all the staples, joins etc on the back, but dont need the extra expence of another frame. If you want me to clarify this email me.

I would be interested to know the artist and what tribe she comes from.
 
If you do that, don't forget to cover the hole from the inside with a piece of mylar, to retain visibility while keeping out dust, mold spores, insects, etc. Remember, paintings do not need (nor want) to breathe.
:cool: Rick

P.S. I like the idea of photographing the back and putting the photo print in a sleeve on the dust cover for easy retrieval and reading.
 
I'm with Dave and Rick, almost.

Select a moulding with plenty of rabbet depth.

Stretch the art as you would any other canvas art, and glaze the back with acrylic. Use a window mat on back to cover the stretcher bars and canvas edges, and to provide a hygroscopic pad between the canvas and glazing. A "trim mat" may be used as a dustcover to make the back more attractive; that would be another window mat with just enough margin to cover fitting points, and outer perimeter to the outer edges of the frame.

And if I were you I would glaze the front as well, with a generous spacer. Insulate the front and back equally with glazing.
 
I missed the canvas part!!!

Forget everything I posted earlier. Sorry.
 
OzDve, this is just a corner of the art. Name of the artist is in the bottom corner. You were right about the symbols on the back (looked like black fine-point marker).

I am assuming the title of the art is "Running Water"


AboriginalBialke.jpg


legend.jpg
 
The art is primarily an woman's story, The symbol of a person accompanied by the digging stick refers to a woman. Women are also the primary artists, although many of the well known artists are men. From the photo it looks quite well done and is contempary in colour.

The dingo is usually a symbol of a demon. The dog although domesticated was often used in stories that are used to warn kids of dangers of wandering off , etc.

The thing I find interesting is that the footprints move into the centre from both the top and bottom, whilst the dingo prints go from bottom all the way to the top.
The river in the middle shows the deepest hole, the ones that dry up last, but the concentric circles of to the left probably represents a last place to look if the drought drys up the deep holes.

Most amature artists from the communities, dont sign the art on the front, but do it as an afterthought on the back in texta. I would say this was probably bought on the east coast of Australia, or the top end. Rather than the western desert that I first thought.
 
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