Aspect Art | art history, info & news

A Norwegian painting featuring 12,400 euros worth of cash glued to a canvas proved too tempting to thieves, who made off with it at the weekend.

Some 100,000 bills of 1,000 kroner each were glued to Norwegian artist Jan Christensen’s two-by-four-metre canvas, entitled Relative Value, the MGM Gallery in Oslo said.

The robbers broke into the gallery on Saturday night by smashing a window.

Then, proceeding methodically, they cut each bill off the canvas individually and left the cumbersome frame behind.

“Apparently they are nice because they took the canvas out of the frame,” gallery owner Marina Gerner-Mathisen told AFP.

The thieves then left the building.

“When the security people arrived a couple of minutes later they were gone,” she said.

She says a police investigation is under way.

Can you choose just any old frame for a painting? Well, you could, but don’t tell the artist. This means that the frame has, among its many other functions, the job of complimenting the work of art. In other words, the frame is not merely a means of hanging a painting on a wall.

But choosing the right frame is almost as difficult as choosing the painting you wanted in the first place.

So what does a frame do? Frames have a number of functions. One of these is to add to the physical stability of the painting and help keep it from being damaged. Another is to separate the painting from the wall. Aside from this, the frame can be very aesthetically pleasing.

Frames can be made out of anything; wood, plastic, metal, paper, stone or even glass.  Most common are the wooden frames, although environmentally friendly plastic frames are becoming more popular. As techniques improve frames can be manufactured from compressed polystyrene with real wood effect. Not only do they look like the real thing, but they are lighter, cheaper, stronger and more durable - all this without needing to chop a tree down.

When choosing your frame it is important to consider the architectural style of the room in which the painting is to hang, as you will want to compliment this style. You also want to decide of you want to use the frame to draw attention to the painting as the focal point of the room or whether you want to have it blend into the décor.

Another important thing to consider is the width of the frame. With smaller pictures it may be of value to use a wider frame as long as this can help draw the eyes towards the centre. This larger frame will also help the painting take up more wall space. With medium and large painting a narrower frame is best, so that it does not over power the piece. When in doubt, go narrower rather than risk too wide.

The colour of the frame is a difficult choice, and it really depends upon what painting you’re framing and what your own taste is. Black and silver generally go with everything and so are quite safe bets. Black will make the painting look neater, whilst silver will brighten it up. Wood finishes are great, but they must match up with the decoration of the room where the painting will hang. The most popular colour for larger paintings is gold, as this will make the painting appear to glow. Be careful with gold however, as it can easily become overpowering. Wood with a gold highlight is a good compromise for those wishing to remain a little more discrete.

Don’t forget that you don’t actually need a frame for a painting. Some people choose to make wall hangings from just the canvas. Also, you can stretch the painting over a wooden frame as normal, but then not add the outer decorative frame. This creates a very minimalist look, which works well for more modern paintings such as pop art, but can ruin some of the older masters. If you choose this route, be sure to allow for the extra canvas which will be needed to cover the sides of the stretching frame, as without an outer frame this part will become visible.

Whether you have a professional do the framing or you pick it out and do it yourself, choosing the right frame will add value and beauty to your painting. This is not an area in which you want to skimp on price. After all, you paid for the painting. Now frame it well and show it off.

You have chosen the perfect frame for your painting, but before you frame it you have to stretch the painting. The act of stretching the painting is important for the stability and appearance of your painting. The first thing you need to do is purchase stretcher bars that correspond to the size of your painting as well as a staple gun or small tacks and a hammer. When stretching, it is crucial that the stretcher bars form a perfect square/rectangle.

Lay your canvas, paint side down on a very clean surface so the painting does not get damaged. Center the stretcher frame on top of the painting and then begin by folding the canvas over one of the short sides of the stretcher frame. Staple it to the center of the strip of wood. Then go to the opposite side and using canvas pliers, grab the canvas and pull it gently to create a crease in the center of it. Keeping that crease and tension in tact, staple the canvas to the strip of wood. Repeat this process for the other two sides.

Once all four sides are stapled, use the canvas pliers to grab the canvas on either side of the center staple and staple there. Repeat for all sides. This way you will have three staples on each side of the frame. The final step is to fold the material at the corners neatly and tuck them in and staple them.

It is important that the painting be stretched fully and properly. Otherwise, the painting will sag in the middle. Once stretched you can move on to framing and enjoying the beautiful work of art you have brought home.

Your painting is stretched, framed, and mounted. However, if you think you are finished you are mistaken. Think of the dust that accumulates in your house. Well, that dust is settling on your painting too and it can cause damage if it is not cleaned properly and regularly.

Cleaning an oil painting is fairly straightforward. The first thing you must do is check to see that the painting is in good shape. In other words, make sure there is no cracked or chipped paint. The most common debris on a painting is dust, pet hair, smoke, dander, bacterial growth, and fungus. To remove these from the surface of the painting, simply use a very soft, dry bristle brush such as a baby brush or baby toothbrush.

Sometimes paintings can acquire a sticky, grimy, or oily surface. In this case you will need to use a mild detergent. Dish detergent works well and you can use a soft cotton cloth with a warm solution of water and dish detergent. NEVER wipe the surface. Instead, gently blot it to remove the build up of grime.

Some more inventive methods for cleaning an oil painting include using the low-suction setting on the vacuum and the soft brush attachment. Bread has also been used. Just remember to brush off the crumbs afterward.

Cleaning your painting is a big job and if you are at all in doubt as to the state of your painting or the cleaning procedure, you can always take it to a professional. After all, you want to be able to enjoy your painting for many years to come.

You bought it! That painting you have been eyeing for the last month is finally yours. You take it home and… Now what do you do with it. Well, you hang it up of course, but where. Yes, it really does matter where you hang your painting. This is part of the science behind the art – the science of temperature, humidity, and gravity.

Paintings are finicky things. They like their living conditions to be just right. This means that the environment needs to be relatively cool and free of humidity. For this reason it is important to keep your painting in a well ventilated room and do not hang it over or near any heat source such as a radiator. The humidity can’t be too low or the paint may become brittle and be more susceptible to damage and if the humidity is too high it may speed the process of chemical changes within the paint. Heat will dry the paint and speed up the aging process of the painting. Warm air also carries more dirt and dust in it than cooler air. It is also important to keep your painting from being exposed to ultraviolet light as this can cause the pigments and dyes to fade prematurely.

The other important consideration when hanging a painting is that it not be placed in a high-traffic area or in an area in which it could easily be bumped or knocked off the wall. In addition, if a painting should fall, be sure it is in a place that it will not fall onto another object such as a table or chair in order to minimize the damage. When transporting a painting, be sure to have the hanging place ready and whenever you sit the painting down, face it toward the wall.

Now you are prepared to hang your beautiful new painting. As long as you follow the above suggestions you will be able to enjoy your painting for many years to come and you will be able to pass it on to your children and their children. So choose the room that suites it the most and happy hanging!