Finding art and photography you love happens naturally. You may be keeping a close eye on the artwork on sale or one of your favourite artists, knowing you’ll eventually find one that will fit perfectly in your collection. You could also be stopped in your tracks one day while window shopping; this is the easy part of collecting art!
Once collecting a particular art piece, the challenge arrives when trying to find a place in your home to display it. If you want your art to display beautifully in your home, here are a couple of tips when it comes to hanging, displaying and framing the artwork on your wall.
Don’t worry about matching your artwork with others in your collection, let each piece stand out!
Each artwork, big or small, speaks for itself. The artist’s original intention when creating was not to match their artwork with your specific collection. The artist created the work of art to speak for itself and that’s the way you should look at each image in your family’s collection. Every artwork has a story and a meaning to the viewer; if one reads a fictional fairy tale novel (comparatively a surreal painting) you are not trying to relate this with the previous novel you read about the French Revolution (comparatively a Renaissance painting) the two books are unrelated.
When looking at a wall of art, you are generally looking at each independently not as a mosaic! A documentary that illustrates this concept is “the Art of the Steal”; Dr. Barnes was one the greatest and most influential art collectors of the 20th century – in his Philadelphia museum he displayed works that would traditionally be seen in traditional terms, however, he made it brilliantly work!
Matching frames with other frames is not necessary.
Much like avoiding the need to match artwork styles, the same goes with frame styles. View your artwork individually and find a frame that compliments the subject, colour, and symmetry of the image without concerning yourself with other frames. If you collect a modern, abstract work, would you put an ornate form on it? Absolutely not! Over time you move artwork around, sometimes to different rooms – over time we move into different residences and may have to downsize your art collection! The only thing married to that artwork is the frame, make sure they complement each other and you’re safe!
Hanging artwork in your home at eye level.
Seems like a simple tip however when you have a wide-open wall with artwork that commands attention, you want to get the placement perfect. Hang at eye level, to be a little more precise, 58-63 inches from the floor is generally an equitable zone for placement. Hanging above sofa/couches is one of the most popular places to hang a panoramic image – 4-6 inches above the piece of furniture is recommended. In the Sean Schuster Gallery, downtown Victoria – we have couches/love-seats not only for our guest’s comfort but to also show how panoramic images hang above them correctly!
Rotate your artwork for a fresh look!
I enjoy visiting Art Galleries in every city I visit, I’ve been to a lot! I rarely hear this recommendation which I consider crucial when it comes to displaying artwork in your home. Having artwork in one place for numerous years will cause you to stop looking at it with the same interest as the first day you hung it. I guarantee that if you move that artwork to a different place, even a couple of feet away, you will see it in a new light, literally and figuratively! Moving artwork to a different room can change the entire environment while commanding more attention than the day before.
If you have too much artwork (which is a good problem to have), pick one or two spots where you decide to interchange artwork every 6-8 months – We consistently get positive feedback from everyone we suggest this to – you can also play around with seasonal ideas… Let’s say you have a couple of colourful landscape images, hang those during the winter in order to inject warmth into the home and ‘vice versa’ during summer months! The combinations are endless!
These are just a few tips for hanging your artwork, we have many more! Keep a close eye on upcoming blogs and feel free to reach out to Sean Schuster Gallery at any point with any questions you may have!