The Tailor and the Landscape Architect
I can't believe that I have been publishing this newsletter for more than two years already. And I specially can't believe that during all this time I have hardly ever written about custom framing! How smart is it to have spent countless "nuits blanches" writing newsletters that are supposed to be promoting my business and hardly ever say anything about what we're doing here at Eastmont Custom Framing.
What is custom framing anyway? When I have to fill in questionnaires and check the appropriate box corresponding to my type of business, I always end up putting the check mark next to OTHER, because custom framing doesn't fit in any other category.
So that is what custom framing is: something else, an occupation unlike any other. It's quite cool in a way to be involved in something so unique, cool but scary too. Where do we belong? Who are we? What time is it? So, to relieve my anxiety of not fitting anywhere, I have been trying to compare my occupation to others. Well, believe it or not, I think that a framer has more similarities with tailors and a landscapers than any other professions I could think of.
Read on:
The tailor: just like the tailor, the custom framer's task and challenge is to come up with a design that will fit around an object (body, artwork). This design will have to be created in a way that the "object" will not just look and feel good, but will also respect it's character and identity. Each order will be unique, done to the exact specifications related to the object that it will host.
The landscape architect: when I conceive a framing design for a painting, a photograph or any other "framable" item, I feel like I am creating an environment around the image, just like the landscape architect is creating an attractive an approriate environment around a building. A framing environment that is not just there to protect the artwork, but one that will allow the viewer to see it in the best possible light, bringing out the quality of the work without overwhelming it.
Just like a landscaping job is not going to change the house, the framing will not change the artwork that it will surround. But it WILL have an impact on how people see that house, or that artwork. The parallel with landscaping is even more obvious when thinking in terms of real estate and art sales. Imagine that you are looking for a house, you have your sights on two, very similar in design and prices.
while the other one sits in the middle of a well landscaped . Which house will you be most likely attracted to?
Same thing with art: what surrounds the artwork WILL have an influence on how it is perceived. If you have somehting framed for your home or office, I am sure that you will want it to be displayed in a way that will let you enjoy it to it's fullest - we reframed a watercolor recently and when the customer picked his order up he said: " wow I never noticed these details before " - And if you are an artist and have your work framed for an exhibition, you have to make sure to present it so the visitors (and potential buyers) will understand that you value what your're doing, and that they will be able to see your work wihtout being negatively influenced by a bad framing job.
So remember: it's not the frame that's important, it's the artwork.
That's why the frame is so important...
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