Vintage Framing Advice

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EveryMann

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Bumping around the popular auction site at 3am this morning for inexpensive art that will enhance my life--as one is wont to do--my interest was piqued by one lot of two older Mexico-themed woodcuts from an artist I've been familiar with for some time. The patina of the faded colors, and particularly the red in the Sur-titled piece, actually appeals to me. Though the paper is damaged around the edges of the two, I was hit by the idea of presenting a series of these. Of course conventional wisdom says odd number of items appeals more than an even number, so I continued searching...I soon discovered another woodcut ("Norte") for sale done by this same artist in the same dimension of a compact 13" x 6.25" or so as the previous two.

So I made like a sledgehammer on the buy-it-now for both the two-piece lot and the single, and I will have them framed and displayed as a trilogy once they arrive here at EveryMann HQ: Norte/untitled upside-down deity/Sur. The paper from the one is faded to a slightly different off-white color as the other two; should I approximate a cream color for the three mats that works closest for all three, or do I nail the color of the matching two, and live with the third mat/paper colors being off a few shades? Would simple, thin walnut or perhaps black frames look best here? I recall that my local framing person offers a frame that appears to be slim pieces of bamboo, but I can't establish in my mind if that's too over the top with kitsch.

In terms of presentation, would I be best hanging these in a straight line? I like the idea of staggered, but I'm thinking three is too few to stagger and I would need to have a series of 5 to do so.

Your experienced advice/suggestions welcomed as always. Thank you.

s-l1600.webp

s-l1600-2.webp
 
Nice pieces.
Ditch the bamboo. Where is the connection to Aztec imagery?
Darkish Khaki/Beige 8-ply rag mat (if they're still available), and a narrow ebonized Walnut frame.
I prefer the textural quality and slight warmth of that vs. matte black.
Lay them out on the floor and play with arrangements. They can always be rehung if you add more to the collection.
 
You are absolutely correct, Wally: extremely poor display of cultural appropriation on my part, and especially considering I have been through every state in Mexico. Anonymous handle not withstanding, I'm embarrassed to have made the bamboo suggestion.

Google tells me the 8-ply mat is twice as thick as the standard 4-ply, and it looks like it creates interesting shadows. The "rag" part, surprisingly, is tough to figure out. Would that be a woven fabric mat? When I google "rag mat," the pictures that come up don't cue me in on what makes it unique. I like your suggestion for a beige or khaki color mat as opposed to matching the off-white paper.

Thanks again for everyone's patience with my layman's queries.
 
EveryMann said:
The "rag" part, surprisingly, is tough to figure out.
Click to expand...

The term "rag mat" refers to matboard that is made from cotton fibers rather than wood fibers. Traditional wood/paper matboards are made from white board with a top surface paper of a color. When the opening is cut, the bevel is bright white. Rag mats are generally solid color throughout so the bevel is the same color as the surface. A bright white bevel would look a bit too crisp on these pieces so I also like the idea of a more natural tone rag mat without the hard white bevel.
 
Rag (100% cotton linters) is the board of choice with museums and conservators. Alpha-cellulose matting is a close second.
8-ply is a pesonal preference, but it also achieves the reccommended minimum space, 1/8", between the inside of the glazing (glass/acrylic) and the surface of the art for preservation framing. Two 4-ply rag mats achieve the same.
 
Thank you.

I'm thinking a khaki shade--and perhaps with a hint of olive green--might be nice.

I like the Nelson's L-3111 suggestion above from their Molokai collection--see photo--though I definitely agree with Wally that straight black frames leave a bit to be desired; that ebonized walnut may be the way to go. I learned that the hard way with the wide piece I presented here a few weeks ago, where actually seeing the finished product with the black frame hung on the wall, it was an instant "oops..."

L-3111.webp
 
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