Planning ahead a bit, I will need to order frames for several new scrim pieces before the show in Jackson. I've had them framed in several different styles, some pretty posh and some more simple. This is one of the really top notch frames:
It has glass on it. Most of them do. But I'm second-guessing that and would appreciate some input on it. The upside is it keeps them safely protected and unquestionably clean. Glass keeps the dust out. On the down side, the reflection can make it hard to really appreciate the work. See, it reflects the lights and such:
I actually think they might look nicer without glass. People want to touch scrim. That's fine! Just don't do it with greasy fingers, ink-removing solvent, or sandpaper! I guess the thing that most concerns me is that dust would collect inside the frame. That could be blown out, but do you think that's a problem?
What do you think, glass or no glass? If you owned one (or if you actually DO own one), would you rather be able to see the piece without anything covering it? Thanks!
8 comments:
Well, I suppose that depends a lot on whether you consider scrim a sort of 'hands on' kind of thing. People do, always, have some degree of oil on their hands, so allowing it to be touched will mean it will get oil on it, even in minute amounts. Perhaps you could have glass as an optional item when people order a scrim? Have a sheet that explains the pros/cons of having glass...
No glass or non-glare glass. Probably no glass would be best in order to see the full beauty of the piece. I love the framing idea.
For display at a show, I would use non-glare glass, and patiently explain that it is to protect the piece. I would also tell people "After you purchase it and take it home, you can remove the glass if you please. Just don't let anyone approach it with chemicals, sandpaper, etc."
If I owned a framed piece, I would remove the glass and be carefull to dust it with a soft brush from time to time.
In my house it would have to have glass because of all the dust kicked up by tractors. And that would be to protect the mat as much as the scrim work. I think most people live in houses that stay cleaner than mine, though.
The things I'm wondering about now are, where would you display something like that so people could enjoy it? It wouldn't go behind the couch. And how would you light it? In my house the best place might be inside a glass case that was lighted. Which would mean I wouldn't need glass on the frame.
See, it's a hard decision!
Non-glare glass is not an option. Non-glare, unless it's right up against whatever it's covering, causes the image to look too blurry. The scrims are set into the frame pretty deep, so that would not be good. People will want to see the work without feeling like they are looking through a foggy window.
Unfortunately, removing the glass isn't a simple task. These are all done up with nice black paper on the back, so to remove the glass you have to take off the hanging wire, the backing, the framing staples, the foam core, the matting, pull the glass out and put it all back together again, but by that point you've ruined the backing.
When I've hung them on the wall here (such as the scrim of Jessie, since that's not for sale) it goes on a wall where people can walk right up to it. They could just as well be set on a small easel... on the mantle, on a shelf, etc.
I'm not too worried about people handling them. Buyers of fine art probably are not the type to be careless about that sort of thing. Heck, I work on knives and grips and those get handled. So does the jewelry, and that's fine unless it finds its way into the hands of a negligent jeweler who feels the urge to "clean it." Oh yeah, I still need to blog about that.
It's time for an experiment. I say you send me an unglassed piece for one year and I will tell you how much dust collects and then I will send it back blown out with one of those air spray cans. -BMc
The framer in my small town is able to hinge a frame so that it opens like a little cupboard. But given the simpler choice, I prefer glass.
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