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Orton

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 14, 1999
Posts
369
Loc
Midland, Ontario, Canada
I just had two noteworthy experiences that I feel compelled to share because, well because, I need to.

One: A framing supplier salesman just left my studio a few minutes ago extolling the virtues of using P90 in lieu of sekishu/methyl cellulose hinges for, in his words, "archival" mounting. Just look at all the time I could save, if I just hinged like this . . and he proceeded to "hinge" a poster in less than 4 seconds flat! - by running a six-inch strip of P90 across the whole upper edge of a sample poster, and by sticking it to the recto of the matboard that he had so thoughtfully provided. "See, as strong as the Bank of England" and "just look at all the time you could save" he said fanning the mat and art back and forth. Now, if I would just read the package for myself, I would read that the tape is acid-free and it is "archival" he continued. "You don't need to bother with mixing [sic] "menthol cellulide" or any other glue and you don't need to mess with tearing strips of [sic] Chinese paper! It just isn't needed any more, it's outdated. Everyone uses P90. I'm really surprised to find anyone who uses the old-fashioned way." He just left the studio. moments ago, still in a state of "really surprised."

Two: A few weeks ago, a new customer (a referral and a known artist) balked at a quotation I had just completed for framing a piece of her original art, an exquisite watercolour. The art had a price tag of $2800. "I can get that done at [down the street] for a lot less than that!" Off she stormed.

Today, she came back looking as proud as Caesar entering Rome, with her newly framed artwork under her arm. . "Look, what you quoted me $ 475 for, I got done for $ 368.41" she said with obvious triumphal confidence . . . and she slapped the bill onto the framing table. Yep, $368.41!

The piece looked absolutely beautiful! Same moulding & same mats that I had chosen, it looked absolutely stunning! It r-e-a-l-l-y looked good - worth every penny of $2800! Same fillet . . . h-m-m-m, is that fillet corner slipping just a little? I asked if I could open up the framing in front of her to examine the inside - I would fully restore it for her, of course, at no charge: would she mind? does she have the time? "Sure" she said, with the same triumphal confidence.

O.K. here's the post-mortem. Dustpaper was recycled glass-packing paper, complete with sherds. P90 right across the upper edge of the artwork, and because it just wasn't doing such a great job (on 300# cold press) there was a series of linen tape strips applied along the top edge and part-way down each side, followed by narrow strips of brown mylar packing tape at random intervals in between the aforementioned "hinges". The art was taped to the verso of the lower mat. No mountboard. Corrugated was used as a filler right against the artwork. The lift between the upper and lower mats was pieced with USED regular(?)(pH < 7.0) foam core of various thicknesses. Pencil marks on both mats were not removed and had transferred to the artwork from the lower mat. The lower mat was undersized and was made up of odd-coloured matboard off-cuts taped (810?) in place around the lower mat lip opening. The fillet was taped in place with masking tape.

As dismantling and examination proceeded I could sense that she was getting quieter and quieter. I think that at one point, she actually stopped breathing! - you know, the calm before the storm? Well, let me tell you! . . .

I hadn't even got to examining the bevels or the mat corners or anything like that!
No Sir-ee! She bundled the whole mess up, just as it was, in pieces, and stomped out. She forgot the glass. Didn't say a word! I think she is going down to see the other "framer" . . . which brings me to the end of this story.

Today's experiences have merely reinforced what I really already knew.

A lot of artists, no matter how renowned nor how sophisticated, regard framing with contempt; as being only a necessary evil. The cheaper it is done, the better; no other concerns are worthy of consideration. Generally, they choose to not understand framing.

A lot of framers talk a good line but know beans about framing. For them, morals and ethics seem to be a non-issue.

A lot of framing sales reps know didley-squat about framing.

There, I'm glad that's off my chest. It's time for a tea.

Orton
 
I just erased what I wrote. It was to political. There's enough politics on TV.

framer
 
Orton, excellent, good for you!!!! opening up that frame job whew! right in front of her! WOW! Thats big kahoonies brother! But hey man if you were telling her what was wrong with the way they did it as you inspected the piece and explained why it was wrong you were certainly doing your job as a framer who cares! Cudos to you! And to as far as the price goes you wernt that much more! Artists are hard to get to spend money for quality, and whats moronic is their asking that kind of money for their work!!! I never have understood that! And i understand budgets but framing something thats $2800 paleeeese!!!! What i have found is explaining every facet of a job to them and what im going to do and why usually will sell most jobs, I dont know why artists have such a mental block with this! As for the sales rep,and the tape HIT THE BRICKS! I say good job; Qrton enjoy your tea!
 
That's hysterical! Sounds very familiar! I love it when reps (and not all are like thst) come in and try to sell inferior products without the info to back their pitch. I have two rolls of that tape still sitting on the shelf after 5 years. And Bones...your e-mail isn't listed...Mine has changed and I didn't get a chance to get yours before changing computer locations.
 
Permission requested to copy and send to an artist friend. She has told me of the distain with which her fellow art students view framing and framers, and the s***** methods the art students use to display their work, and then hope to have it taken seriously.

Thanks for sharing, Orton. Awfully glad you're back and in good form.
 
Hi Mel. Sure, be my guest.

90% of my trade is with artists, and has been for the last umpteen years. It is the rare exceptional artist who does appreciate the technicalities of framing.

Opening up new framing is a regular procedure. . . you never know what you will find.

I have a client who produces very large pieces, in the $25,000 to $35,000 range - who absolutely insists on all frames being very narrow and black! - go figure.

Orton

[This message has been edited by Orton (edited 03-02-2000).]
 
My art-student-friend tells me framing and matting are discussed frequently and anything that isn't black and narrow and singly matted in white is b-a-a-a-d taste. They are taught this by their professors. She is letting me put a white, blackcore mat on a charcoal (for the obvious reasons), but only because she loves to buck the established system.
 
Just returned from vacation in a place called "God's Waiting Room": Palm Desert, California. It's a place for folks with more money than sense, some age on them, and enough money to pay to repair the sun damage. We loved every minute of the place: Talk of La-La Land! All aside to the pertinent subject of this thread. We browsed through some art galleries on the Rodeo Drive look-alike, a plaza area named El Paseo. Some of the art was simply wonderful, other pieces inscrutable: a subject for another thread. What simply appalled me was the workmanship on some of the pieces. Even my husband began pointing out 1/4"! overcuts, poor filleting, bad miters on mouldings, etc. Now, these are truly nice galleries selling a wide variety of sculpture and art: why do it shoddily? And, of course, it was not inexpensive. Good taste disallows mentioning such disasters, but one wonders if the BUYER notices!
 
MM, Most of the general public doesn't notice. Only framers and those who use quality custom frame shops. I have a couple customers who own winter homes in that la la land and a summer home in New England. We see them a couple times a year. Must be May and September.

Orton, way to go.

Narrow black moulding was 10 cents a foot 25 years ago and artist do tend to be cheap!

Mel, do you suppose tht art instructor frequents a frame shop or the web for that matter. It's called a rut......do it the same old way.

We are going to try and educate a photo club tonight on matting. Spent a lot of time preparing with color and triple mats the last couple days. I'll bet most of them will just say, "white for me and a single mat".lol. Just in case our program bombs I'll treat them to cheese and crackers and maybe a little spiked drink. I certainly could use someting in my tea about this time of day.



[This message has been edited by JPete (edited 03-02-2000).]
 
MM - I didn't know Palm Desert was referred to as "Gods Waiting Room" I'm going there tomorrow to meet family for dinner. I just talked to my sister & we will now take some time to go to El Paseo & scrutinize the galleries. Do you remember any one in particular? I'll report back.

My sister had an artist friend who sold some of her work there. It was interesting the galleries wanted to tell her what to paint. What colors, what styles, etc that would sell. It seemed like they just wanted "production" stuff to sell quickly. I think the she wouldn't do that and no longer sells her art there. (this was quite a few years ago - don't know what they're doing now)
 
Cookie, you don't know how perceptive that commment above is. I did get that feeling from several of the galleries we visited: not directly, of course, but peripherally. The one which featured the art we enjoyed the most was Coda Art. The offerings were varied, the personnel knowledgeable without being obsequious, and best of all, they were interactive with their comments. Check the Richard? Hays tiger. (And steal one of the postcards with the image.) They feature a variety of artists and genre. The Danskin Gallery had a variety of offerings also, most of which I couldn't relate to. (Dangle, there.) But stuff that would sell. Everyone is VERY pleasant. Please let me know what you thought, if you get the chance.

And eat at the C...C. Food's not my thing but the Turkey Burger was the best ever. Can't be more specific on the name, but it's on the left as you're walking on the sunnyside of the street in the morning. Big help. If possible, we would have patronized the Beer Hunter and most definitely Humphrey Yogart's. (Wordfreak goodies.)



[This message has been edited by MerpsMom (edited 03-02-2000).]
 
I have to add one more thing about Palm Desert. If you've ever been there in July or August, you wouldn't think of it as "God's Waiting Room" temperatures high enough to feel sure you're in the "other place"
 
Hi Merps et al

I frequently have to frame for photographers and artists who are entering specific events or juried shows in which the rules of the competition specify white mats and black frames because, in the organizers' opinions, it "...levels the playing field," whatever that means. Unfortunately and all too often, the same "rules" become universally applied to all discussions about all art by arrogant, artsy-fartsy people suffering from delusions of grandeur, who really wouldn't know art & framing from shoe polish. If a "level playing field" for competition is required, why bother to frame it at all? Go figure.

Most galleries want to do their own framing - to capitalize, of course - but it is definitely not a myth that most galleries do a crummy job. Fact: most galleries do a crummy job.

Some years ago I did a detailed research on galleries, including frameshop galleries. The general conclusion was that although the presentation-face was good, in the greatest majority of cases, technical aspects of framing, or just plain workmanship, were very, very, poor. This goes for museum galleries too.

Most galleries seem primarily pre-occupied with money - get it out of clients' bank accounts and into their own as quickly as possible. Protection of the art, which allows them to achieve their primary goal, if considered at all, placed a poor second place. Most frameshop galleries often emphasized inappropriate but fancy framing of art rather than the art - you know, exotic corners, fancy cuts, triple and even quadruple mats, etc., which makes me wonder just why they advertised themselves as art galleries instead of fancy or specialty-framing galleries. Museums generally did not do a good job in either presentation or in framing.

Although I have not done follow-up surveys, given the opportunity to visit frameshops and galleries, I still examine framing very closely. Yes, I do straighten crooked framing on the walls, I do look behind the frames, and sometimes I even take pieces off the wall - and I can tell you that nothing much has changed since I did the original study.

Aesthetically, most framing gets a passing mark. For the most part, the workmanship and technical ends get a failing mark. In many cases deficiencies can be seen right through the glass.

Considering all aspects, overcuts was a prominent offender, cuts made with dull blades; poorly made v-grooves; kraft dustpaper; glass sherds & other assorted detritus, slipped mats, etc. As I said, nothing seems to have changed much.

. . . now, when you visit a gallery, if you just take the piece off the wall and look through one of the holes in the dustpaper (it seems that a lot of galleries leave the art on the wall "as-is" after they having previously, and repeatedly damaged the dustpaper) you can often see how [poorly] the piece was assembled. Warning to the sensitive and those with a weak stomach: It is often not a pretty sight. In some cases, you won't be encumbered by having to peek through holes in the dustpaper because there isn't any dustpaper. Go see for yourself.

While attending trade or supplier shows, I have heard framers, gallery owners, etc., expound ad nauseam on the topic of c/p techniques, only to find out (after paying visits to their galleries), that the framing they offered for sale, was of the same poor quality that those "other" galleries offered. Lip srevice.

A couple of years ago, I went to a framing seminar, sponsored by a major manufacturer, in which the keynote speaker was a very high profile framing "expert", who also operated his own frameshop gallery. Throughout the seminar, the emphasis was on "doing things right"; you know, the ususal push to adhere to "the" standards (intertwined with references to his lofty position as framing guru, the promotion of his favourite association was slipped in there a few times, etc.), use the proper board, "don't do this," "don't do that," " do this", "do that," you know, you've been there before. After class, I paid a visit to his gallery, and . . . guess what? Uh-huh.

The story and quoted speech which follows, are somewhat apocryphal, but you'll get the idea.

. . . so the next morning, in a one-on-one conversation, of course not mentioning that I visited his shop, I broached the subjects with him, of overcuts, kraft dustpaper, and taped hinges. "Checking overcuts in a busy shop, like mine, just isn't feasible. . . we try to avoid them, but I'm not going to pay big bucks to a framer who takes all day trying to make good corners and . . .besides, the customers don't notice them; and even if they did, they'd find the same thing everywhere else." He went on to say other similar things, virtually excusing poor workmanship, under the guise of being a good manager who was being attentive to productivity.

(More students gathered around, morning coffees in hand.) Obviously warming to the conversation, he continued onto the subject of dustpaper: "... it doesn't matter anyway, it's on the outside . . ." Well, I guess if he, M.E.F.G., said it was o.k., it must be o.k. - for no other reason than because it was he who said it, and after all, he is a Sponsored Speaker, and he operates a "busy shop," and he . . . [. . . the tragedy is, is that he does influence a lot of people because he is an authority figure.]

(More folks crowded around, morning coffees being replaced by notebooks and tape recorders) M.E.F.G. was on a roll now, a Living Legend, educating The Masses of Poor, Ignorant Framers. . . (M.E.F.G.? - Most Exalted Framing Guru - sorry,I forgot about the Ignorant Masses). Taped hinges? "Look, if someone brings in a print, I'm not going to waste my customer's money by [mounting it properly] - besides, it's conservation tape, it says so right here on the package. Now if it was a piece of "real" art, I'd check with the customer first." Yeh-h, right!

Clearly this person operated with a Do-As-I-Say philosophy, and because of his status, clearly just loved to hear himself talk! The problem is, that because he is high-profiled and is lent credibility by his sponsors, he, and people like him, can get away with it. He's still around, even on the Web, continuously building The Legend . . .

. . . I think I'm drifting.

There are valid arguments which support low quality framing. They are mostly based upon "the bottom line" or the Profit & Loss Statement arguments. If low quality framing is not misrepresented to the customer, then it is fair - it may be distasteful, but it is fair - caveat emptor, "let the buyer beware." That argument can be illustrated by this Pearl of Wisdom: Buying quality framing is like buying oats. If you want good, clean, hard oats, you have to pay a fair price for them. If you want oats that have already been through the horse, well, they come a little cheaper.

In our business, customers are not prone to dismantling a framing job just to check up on the framer. If they did dismantle a job, they wouldn't know what they were looking at any way. They seldom know what questions to ask. Just as framing students are dependent upon the teacher for honest information and an honest presentation, customers are dependent upon the framer for honesty and integrity. Telling a customer, or inferring that a job is c/p when it is not, is just plain dishonest. There is no rationalization for dishonesty: it is the coward's way out. If misrepresentation is committed out of ignorance (lack of education) it is still misrepresentation.

The production of crummy work, or of mediocre work, or of excellent work, is the result of a conscious choice based upon an internal consideration of ethics & morals, or alternatively, upon the absence of such an internal consideration. Either way, it is a conscious choosing of which pathway to follow.

My point. We can choose to be hypocritical or to be not hypocritical. We can choose to educate ourselves in this business or we can choose not to. should I take framing and conservation courses, or do I just wing it? Do I need to apply what I have learned? We can choose to be honest or to be dishonest.

Like the unknowledgeable customer, unknowledgeable framers are easy prey to people like M.E.F.G. He and people like him, help give our industry a bad reputation.

Orton
 
MM - I'm back from checking out galleries in Palm Desert. Only got to 3 - very limited in my time there. Most of what I saw was good. I did fall in love with a painting but I'm only about $20,000 short of being able to afford it
frown.gif


The only really bad thing I saw, an original on silk $14,000 the frame looked great BUT the glass was resting right on the art. I thought about saying something, but didn't. I wonder what is proper in this case? - what would Orton do?

[This message has been edited by Cookie (edited 03-04-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Cookie (edited 03-04-2000).]
 
framer, that's very funny.
smile.gif
I wish you could make an emoticon out of it.

Cookie, probably you didn't get to the Coda Gallery where the tiger was? In general, were you im-or un-impressed with the galleries you were in?

(Will smile everytime I think of WWOD.)
 
The C/P concept has only been supported in the last 10-15 years. Some of the Gallery/Frameshops and Frameshops for Gallerys have been in business longer than that. The reality is that once there is success in a free market system that tends to perpetuate the fact that the organization may have become resistant to change (if it ain't broke don't fix it) and the perception of the organization tends to be that they are successful because they are good. It takes a long time for an organization's corporate culture change. We must all keep promoting good framing. Time will be on our side. When a new concepts emerges there will always be those who accept them right away and some that take more time. During the transition period there is always frustration and questioning our decisions. The mementum is on the C/P side. Someday the large organzitions will be from the ranks of those of us framing today. Then it will be our time. When that time comes and we want to sit back and enjoy the rewards of all of our hard work will we be as accepting of the new concepts that will affect our bottom lines? Will we be willing to undertake the task of changing our corporate cultures?

So what do you all think??

------------------
Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the cat.

[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited 03-05-2000).]
 
I am a photographer who frames, and both own and operate a photography/frame shop. It is my experience that single white mats with thin black frames are often the norm for B & W photography art competitions. The idea being competition presentation uniformity,to better focus on the photo art itself. Unfortunately, many have adopted this style of presentation in a misguided effort to look "artsy". While there is something to be said for individual presentation uniformity, it should not be used as a license to mimic indiscriminately. Often it is applied by one who simply lacks imagination.

Bruce McElhaney
 
Orton,
In regard to the lady with the $2800 dollar watercolor did you ask her to pay you for your design. After all she took the design from you and not the other framer. Ask her how she would accept having a customer view her painting and then go to another painter and have the piece painted at a lower price.

[This message has been edited by Scarfinger (edited 03-05-2000).]
 
Hi Scarfinger,

You have such great come backs for all these ridiculous customer remarks. Just out of curiosity are you this quick when you are in the middle of one of these events. I always think of these comebacks after the fact. Have you ever used the one above on an artist? Did they get it?

I had a discussion recently with someone who made a good comment. Years ago they taught the artist the correct materials and framing options. In todays schools they don't bother. So there is no respect for the long term effects to their works.

I will not give the customer the information from my designs. I tell them that if they are looking for prices that they should have the next framer show them their designs and describe the framing process they will do. I will write down a price on a card. Since we are only one of two or three with the corners we carry in town out of 30-40 frame shops the chances of them finding the same design are minimal. In addition, we consider our pricing information propriatory and will share only the total on the back of the business card.

------------------
Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the cat.

[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited 03-05-2000).]
 
I know extremely well a respected local artist, and there is not a chance in Hades that I can convince her to do other than Crescent's Medium Gray paper mat on her art. She feels some odd loyalty to a local framer (who is renownedly a schemer) simply because she began her career with him and accepted what he said back in 1983. In most other respects, this woman in intelligent and forward-thinking. Truly, what has been said above is true: they (artists and those who would be) are inculcated with disdain for the presentation and preservation of their product. I have framed many pieces of this artist's work and unfailingly do it creatively using c/p methods, and she comments favorably. The kicker?: it simply doesn't register that she should do it that way. I finally asked her: her pervertedly logical answer: "I don't have to invest in that to sell the art. They bring it you and THEY pay for it (the framing.)" It's rather difficult to argue with her.
 
Hi, Artlady,
In my younger days I said many things to customers some of which got the response I wanted and some of which caused me grief. On looking back I feel that even when I got the response I wanted I was sometimes the loser. I am glad to have gotten to a point that I can take just about anything a customer can give and let it go. Years ago we talked about having a "The Customer is Wrong Day" as a promotion. We would advertise that you could have a discount on your framing if you could take all the crap the framer gave you. But we realized that we were just looking for an excuse to dump on a few customers. The key thing is to recognise who is a customer and who isn't. Then you treat those "REAL" customers like Royalty and they will treat you just fine. I use the term Royalty because I had a elderly customer tell me that he chose our shop because we treated him like Royalty. He told me he had tried over 100 frame shops before us. He turned out to be our biggest customer of all time and on the Wednesday before the Saturday he died I visited him at home and he gave me the last 30 frame jobs to do after his death. The friendship and dedication of this customer makes it easy to forget all those others that this thread is about. But don't think we let people push us around - we don't. We are firm with customers and the customer is always right until the customer is wrong. And then we tell them in a straight forward and honest way. If pleasing a customer is simply beyond reason we return their art, removing it from the frame if necessary, and ask them to try another shop. We win in most of our customer relationships and we lose a few but only after we have done our best.
Scarfinger
 
Dear MM,

People go directly to the artist to save money. The local artists react to the price conscious consumer who went to the trouble to locate them thinking they would save a buck or two. That type of artwork and framing does not sell well in a commercial gallery. Commercial galleries are not looking for that market. If her framing were better (perhaps she is only trying to make a little money on the side and doesn't care) she would attrack a different buyer. Marketing and packaging (framing) is everything just like everything else. I tell my artist clients, they should not be framing they should be painting. Let the galleries do the marketing.

"There is a big difference between those that choose to own a cubic zirconia and those that choose to own a diamond."

I have been in the lower and now upper market. Always remember you sell what is on the wall. Everything on my walls is framed to the teeth.

Dear Scarfinger,

If you do your best it is all you can do. Good attitude. For every 1 bad customer there are 1000 good ones. Usually the bad ones have other problems. But I try to separate a bad day for a customer from a bad customer. I wish they all knew how hard we work to try and please them.

------------------
Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the cat.



[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited 03-06-2000).]
 
Well, I must gently demur. The above-mentioned artist does right well for herself, and I think she smiles all the way to the exchecquer. She's hanging around in some pretty prominent places here in the Midwest. Painting is her vocation as well as avocation; and being a good businesswoman as well, I think she's figured out a way to have her cake and keep it. We should all be so fortunate!
 
Merps Mom:

That is precisely my experience: "It costs so much to have it framed properly, and since they're just going to have it reframed, why should I pay for that level of work?" Depending on the level of framing requested, I have refused at times to do it, and other times, only asked that I be allowed to indicate on the verso of the finished piece that the glazing or whatever, isn't c/p quality. They agree that they, too, appear more professional this way.
 
Orton, I don't know your relationship to the $2800 Dollar lady but I would hope you have followed up with a call to make sure her framing problem has been sorted out. You are involved now and I think you should follow through to completion. There may be some opportunity here and I would ask for a meeting to discuss her framing. At this meeting you will be able to find out if she could be a "REAL" customer. At this meeting I would tell her straight forwardly that I was dissappointed that she would take my time to design for her and then take this design down the street for a few dollars less. If she can handle this conversation directly with you the two of you may be able to build a relationship profitable to both of you. At least you'll know.
 
Hi Cookie. OWDT: have kept the glass off of the artwork in the first place. What you saw is typical. Another example? Next time you are in a gallery or in a museum of fine art, look at framed oil paintings and tell me what you see. Hint: look at the rabbets. Spotting something like this always creates a dilemma: do I say something or do I not say something? and to whom?

I do feel strongly about these things and I am in the habit of saying "something". I seek out the artist first, and if that is not possible or not feasible, I will speak to the curator or gallery owner whatever is appropriate. Sometimes it makes friends, sometimes it does not.

If you feel strongly about it, contact the artist: you have nothing to lose and you make a new friend. You may discover a few things: e.g. the artist had it framed and does know or does not care about glass-contact; the gallery framed it and does not know or does not care about glass contact. If the artist does not know about glass-contact and does care, the artist may thank you for having pointed it out. If the gallery does not know about glass-contact, and does care, the gallery may thank you [which may raise questions of competency]. If no one cares, you might be told to drop dead, in which case you will have lost nothing anyway. The loser inevitably will be the purchaser.

There are times when black frames and white mats are the apprpriate combination. Having said that, I agree with Bruce that the combination ususally seems to be a result of lack of imagination, or historical intertia.

Hi Scarfinger. No I did not charge her for design, nor will I do so. The completed job (from the other shop) was done according to the artist's instructions, as recalled from her memory - close, but no cigar. This kind of thing happens very, very seldom, and I just try not to lose sleep over things like this. I do not quote over the phone, I do not hand out a detailed quotation from the studio. My written quotations specify the price "as discussed" [between the client and myself].

Framing is taught in art schools, but it is taught by artists not by framers. Generally, the artist-instructors are "aware" of c/p framing techniques, but are insufficiently practiced in current c/p techniques. I would suggest that it is because they are primarily artists and not framers, that framing is perceived as being an expensive nuisance - THE focus is on producing the art itself - framing is incidental, and of course, as everyone knows, it can be done by anyone, lesser people with a hammer and glue. . . It's part of the Art Snobbery and art-arrogance which does run rife. Pity, because artists would do much better if their artwork was presented in better light.

Merps,a lot of my clients leave, what they would discern as being "out-of-the-ordinary" framing, to me because they do not want to think beyond creating and then selling their art. THEY created the art, they are selling THEIR creation. The frame is not their creation. So, the easiest way out is to establish a standard framing for their art - white mat & black frame for instance. A rut? - for sure. They frame a certain way because they are in the habit of doing it that way, and because, well, framing is just not that important to them - notwithstanding the fact their own clients are willing to pay for a more aesthetic job.

I know that it is not just my experience that a collector will, for instance, get a L/E framed exquisitely, have it viewed by the artist, have the artist blown of his/her own feet, have it seen by other collectors, who turn around and purchase the same piece from the artist because they like the way their friend had it framed. Artists seem to not understand, that after the creation element is completed, in the end, the customer will end up paying for a whole art package i.e. the art AND its frame. Most artists seem to just refuse to understand or comprehend this point. . . part of the same snobbery, methinks.

I've had this conversation with most of my clients and certainly with most of the artists who have taken one of my seminars. Most will agree, but most will just carry on doing what they are in the habit of doing. You know, ". . . that's the way Professor Renoir taught us." . . . path of least resistance.

However, every now and then, a breath of fresh air does waft in. Periodically, I receive a note from someone who has purchased artwork from one of my clients, saying that they truly appreciate how the framing was done, and will certainly be buying additional artwork from the same artist because they know the framing is sound . . . kind of makes one feel good.

Oh, by the way, The Artist Who Started This Conversation brought her art back in, "properly" framed this time. She insisted that the other shop re-do it correctly, which, she assured me, they did. ALL of the materials used this time were "archival", she was assured. We were delighted, Things seemed to be improving.

I'm not going to bore you with details, but I will tell you that even though the kraft dustpaper was retained, Things did improve! A c/p quality mountboard was used this time, Japanese paper was used for hinges, and wheat starch was used for adhesive - to hold all eight "hinges": one on each corner, and one in the centre of each edge [to stop the paper from curling] . . .

I corrected this piece in time for the artist to show it, billed the artist for my services, received payment for my services, and retained what I hope will become a client and not just a customer.

I'm still shaking my head.

Orton

[This message has been edited by Orton (edited 03-06-2000).]
 
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