Framing
IN A DEDICATED SELECTION ROOM, TIM, ALONG WITH OTHER CASTLE GALLERIES DIRECTORS, GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE BEST POSSIBLE FRAME AND MOUNT PRESENTATION
During the process of creating a mount and frame, the artwork will be worked on by up to seven highly skilled craftsmen.
With a selection of about 400 wood frames – from slim black edged to ornate hand-carved frames – and 40 different mount designs, including floating and French wrap, this is not as easy as it sounds. “You can achieve a completely different look, simply by changing the mount and frame, so we try many different styles to see which works best with the art,” he says. “You need it to enhance the artwork without dominating it.” Quality of materials is crucial and only the best available are used. All materials that come into contact with the artwork are natural, with conservation grade mounts and paper used, so that the artwork maintains its pristine, as-new quality. High quality float glass completes the frame, although clients can request UV-filtered, anti-reflective glass, or museum-grade glass. During the process of creating a mount and frame, the artwork will be worked on by up to seven highly skilled craftsmen. Two specialists – a mount cutter and assembler – will make up the
mount, while a frame cutter will hand operate a mitre saw to ensure that the edges of the chosen frame are perfect before it is handed to another specialist who pins and glues it together. The backboard and glass are cut to size before an assembler inserts the art into the frame, taking particular care to clean all surfaces before sealing the backboard to the frame. The certificate of authenticity is then added to the back of the picture. At the final station, the rearside is completed by the taping of the joints, the addition of felt bumpers to stop it damaging the wall, and string to hang the piece. At each stage of the process, the mount, frame and artwork are checked for quality and only when it is completed to the highest standard does the final assembler sign the quality label. “The attention to detail is what makes our frames stand out,” says Tim. “You only have to see the skills of our craftsmen and the care they put into their work to appreciate that.”
34 FIN e ARTC o LL e CT o R SPRING2015
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