FramerDave
PFG, Picture Framing God
There was a topic started yesterday about different types of dust cover material, and a couple points were raised with regards to the framing competition. They were good questions, so to keep the other discussion on-topic I though they might make for good discussion on their own.
As I understand the competition guidelines, nothing is really absolutely required. You could enter a piece framed with regular glass and brown kraft paper if you wanted. You just can't expect to do very well.
Kraft paper is everyday, average, and the judges would mark it as "expected" or lower. To get the judges' attention and get the kudos you need to take it up a notch to something like the Lineco paper or Tyvek. Judges really like it when you use something out of the ordinary that still meets all the criteria. I can't think of an example offhand, but it's a good thing when you hear them say "Oh, I never would have thought of that!" and "Hey, come over here and look at this."
No, they don't dissect the frames. A framing description form is required, listing all the methods and materials used and why. So for the parts that aren't visible I suppose there's a little bit of the honor system at work.
The guidelines call for the framer to use the best possible preservation, but aesthetics is the name of the game. For instance, back in March there were a number of print competition entries whose mounts had failed. Not surprising considering its awkward shape and the shipping involved. Chris Paschke, who at the time was the chair of the Competition Board, suggested that competitors might sacrifice a couple points of preservation in favor of getting the entry there in one piece.
By the way, during the Master Certified Picture Framer exam the candidate's work is dissected and examined closely. That's kind of the point of it, being an exam of technical knowledge and preservation skills rather than design.
So, are you entering the print competition this year? Most chapters judge in October, so there's still time.
As I understand the competition guidelines, nothing is really absolutely required. You could enter a piece framed with regular glass and brown kraft paper if you wanted. You just can't expect to do very well.
Kraft paper is everyday, average, and the judges would mark it as "expected" or lower. To get the judges' attention and get the kudos you need to take it up a notch to something like the Lineco paper or Tyvek. Judges really like it when you use something out of the ordinary that still meets all the criteria. I can't think of an example offhand, but it's a good thing when you hear them say "Oh, I never would have thought of that!" and "Hey, come over here and look at this."
No, they don't dissect the frames. A framing description form is required, listing all the methods and materials used and why. So for the parts that aren't visible I suppose there's a little bit of the honor system at work.
The guidelines call for the framer to use the best possible preservation, but aesthetics is the name of the game. For instance, back in March there were a number of print competition entries whose mounts had failed. Not surprising considering its awkward shape and the shipping involved. Chris Paschke, who at the time was the chair of the Competition Board, suggested that competitors might sacrifice a couple points of preservation in favor of getting the entry there in one piece.
By the way, during the Master Certified Picture Framer exam the candidate's work is dissected and examined closely. That's kind of the point of it, being an exam of technical knowledge and preservation skills rather than design.
So, are you entering the print competition this year? Most chapters judge in October, so there's still time.