How should I frame this watercolor?
November 27, 2020 2:12 PM Subscribe
A friend who is an artist -- an actual, known, professional artist -- gifted me a watercolor. It's been pulled out of a spiral-bound sketchbook, so one side of the paper has the row of punched holes with the ripped edge. Adjacent to that is the line where the paper has been lightly scored so it could have been ripped out more neatly. Now I'm going to have the watercolor framed. Should I include the ripped edge?
Is that...a thing? I know I can do whatever I want, but I'm wondering about the aesthetic and artistic choices here. Does it make a difference that she's a personal friend who gave this to me? Does it make a difference that she's a known artist? Should I cut neatly along that scored line and get rid of the edge?
Would love to know what artistic people and artists think about this.
Is that...a thing? I know I can do whatever I want, but I'm wondering about the aesthetic and artistic choices here. Does it make a difference that she's a personal friend who gave this to me? Does it make a difference that she's a known artist? Should I cut neatly along that scored line and get rid of the edge?
Would love to know what artistic people and artists think about this.
Best answer: I would absolutely keep the ripped edge, and would frame it on a dark mat that highlights the edge. To me, that emphasizes the personal connection, that it's something intimate given directly, not something bought from a shop or dealer.
posted by Superilla at 2:20 PM on November 27, 2020 [48 favorites]
posted by Superilla at 2:20 PM on November 27, 2020 [48 favorites]
It was probably done because those perforations in the paper are dangerous (particularly with heavy paper) in that they can rip randomly into the image if you're not super careful (fold back and forth, razor, straight edge, etc). I wouldn't assign any special importance or intention to it. When framing, they can cut the matte to cover it.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:33 PM on November 27, 2020
posted by sexyrobot at 2:33 PM on November 27, 2020
Another vote for keeping the edge for the reasons Superilla gave. One of my early employers was gifted an a artists small sketchbook after admiring a sketch. It just had a few pages left with the one sketch, I think but she had the whole thing framed. It was very effective.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:39 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by BoscosMom at 2:39 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I am a professional artist. Artists push boundaries and I am completely certain some people have framed pages with a notebook perforation strip still attached and displayed - but it's not what I would call standard practice. Your keeping it as part of the display will have conceptual and aesthetic consequences, and you could consider asking the artist if she has a preference.
Typically unless the paper has a deckle edge (usually due to being handmade) it would be window matted when framed, and in my opinion that method will not look good with a perforation strip. However, if you do want it displayed it will look fine floated above matboard (which is also what you'd usually do with deckled paper). So I think you need to decide if you want to float it or window mat it in terms of display. Either way, I don't think you have to cut the perforation strip off if you value it, though, as you can easily window mat over it without removing it.
posted by vegartanipla at 2:42 PM on November 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
Typically unless the paper has a deckle edge (usually due to being handmade) it would be window matted when framed, and in my opinion that method will not look good with a perforation strip. However, if you do want it displayed it will look fine floated above matboard (which is also what you'd usually do with deckled paper). So I think you need to decide if you want to float it or window mat it in terms of display. Either way, I don't think you have to cut the perforation strip off if you value it, though, as you can easily window mat over it without removing it.
posted by vegartanipla at 2:42 PM on November 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
Even if you cover the ragged edge with the matting, keep it intact. These details are the kind of thing that tells a story fifty, a hundred years from now when someone has it reframed.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:46 PM on November 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by BoscosMom at 2:46 PM on November 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Ask the artist if she has a preference for how the piece should be displayed. If she doesn't, do whatever you find most aesthetically pleasing.
posted by mekily at 2:55 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mekily at 2:55 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Mat over it. A float mount has an adhesive contacting the art directly. There are very gentle, semi-reversible (comes off, leaves residue) adhesives, but another danger is that the mount will give up and drop the piece within the frame, bending the corners. It's a watercolor, so a float mount also won't have even pressure around the edges, and the natural rippling over time as the paper absorbs humidity/dries out will be more pronounced. Frame it with a mat around the edges at least a quarter-inch and use at least an 8-ply depth to avoid all of this.
On the other hand, the edge will look really cool, and the risks of a float mount by a professional are minimal. Speak to your framer about what they can do.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:56 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
On the other hand, the edge will look really cool, and the risks of a float mount by a professional are minimal. Speak to your framer about what they can do.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:56 PM on November 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Your artist friend had the opportunity to use the scored edge and didn't. You are hearing her. You should check with her, of course, but it sounds as if she was offering you the chance to participate with her in the creation. The torn border seems deliberate and considered (says the guy with virtually no information) and the way that you respond to that has meaning as well. A way of mounting the piece that emphasizes its physical depth might honor her willingness to invite you into the process.
posted by bullatony at 4:14 PM on November 27, 2020
posted by bullatony at 4:14 PM on November 27, 2020
I'm a (non-professional) artist and without knowing your friend it's hard to say. She could easily have just ripped it out because it felt easier on that day, she was in a hurry to get it to you, she's had bad experiences with the scored lines not tearing properly (UGH it's so annoying), the scored edge is too close to the edge of the piece and she likes the border.. etc.
I agree with the Mefites above suggesting you just drop her a quick message to say "hey, getting this framed, should I keep the edge or is it cool to neaten it up?". If she doesn't mind, just do whatever you prefer -- maybe experiment with some cardboard or something to get an idea of what it will look like either way, in case you trim it then decide you prefer the torn edge.
Either way, bless you for thinking about this! It shows you care a lot about your friend's work and is very sweet.
posted by fight or flight at 4:20 PM on November 27, 2020
I agree with the Mefites above suggesting you just drop her a quick message to say "hey, getting this framed, should I keep the edge or is it cool to neaten it up?". If she doesn't mind, just do whatever you prefer -- maybe experiment with some cardboard or something to get an idea of what it will look like either way, in case you trim it then decide you prefer the torn edge.
Either way, bless you for thinking about this! It shows you care a lot about your friend's work and is very sweet.
posted by fight or flight at 4:20 PM on November 27, 2020
Response by poster: Okay, I don't know why I didn't just ask her first, but your suggestions made me do so. She says it's totally up to me but she likes the ripped edge showing, with a floating mount. Thank you!
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:48 PM on November 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:48 PM on November 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
my qualification is that I'm a person who cares about art and reacts strongly to what's on display in my home. I say: If you like the way it looks with the ripped edge, do that. I wouldn't like it myself. I'd trim it.
I'd ask her to sign the back, in any case. For the future.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:19 PM on November 27, 2020