Proper framing is an integral part of any picture, and in some cases part of the artist's vision as well.  In the best case scenario, picture framing, including all of its components, protects and enhances the piece of art.  In the worst case scenario, the components can damage the art and decrease its overall visual appeal.  An archival framer will consider all of these elements when framing works of art in order to protect and enhance the piece without compromising the artistic vision.   

When the museum acquires works into its permanent collection, our curatorial team evaluates each piece for condition issues that may affect its appearance many years into the future.  Any issues can usually be corrected by changing the mounting, components and frame to archival materials and specifications.

The piece that is featured in this blog is one that the Springfield Art Museum acquired after it was entered into the annual Watercolor U.S.A 2016 exhibition. 

The title "Lost in the Fire" by artist Blake Willis Tiggemann, pretty much sums up the reason for the materials used in this artwork.  Using only what was available to him after a devastating fire, this piece is composed of images, painted on brown paper shopping bags mounted onto an old spray -painted cork board.

The piece had been assembled and mounted, using only masking tape (highly acidic) and double-sided foam tape, mounted on a cork board painted frame.  The masking tape had already started to peel away from the bags and the mountings had started to fail.  Again, keep in mind that these were salvaged materials and not the usual choice for the artist.  After contacting the artist, and getting his blessing on changing the mounting, framing and backing, we proceeded to carefully de-construct the mountings.

Originally, the bags had been assembled and taped together before the images were painted onto the surface.  Instead of separating them completely by removing the masking tape all at once, and possibly affecting the alignment, we replaced each section, as it was removed, with acid free archival tape.  Since paper grocery bags are highly acidic as well, the piece was treated with a special deacidification spray. The entire piece was then mounted, as one unit, to a piece of museum rag mat that had been backed with a piece of acid free foamcore creating a sturdy substrate and backing.     

Most works on paper require glazing of glass or acrylic for protection.  We chose UV protected glass for the clarity and protective value of the glass to minimize any potential fading of the artwork.  Since the piece is somewhat textural with natural ripples and folds, it was necessary to space the glass a fair distance away from the artwork.  This was accomplished with the use of custom spacers inside of a deep shadow box frame.  Lastly, the artwork was secured into the frame and hanging hardware was added. 

You can clearly see in the "before" picture (shown below) how constrained the piece was in the original mount.  In the "after" picture, the artwork has its own space.  The simple neutral backing paired with the soft semi-distressed frame serves to let the viewer appreciate the artwork without being overwhelmed.  The distressed frame moulding plays off of the unusual materials used to create the artwork.

Cindy Quayle - Exhibitions Manager

Above photo: before re-mounting

Below photo: after re-mounting and framing.

First of all, first impressions are everything. I choose this article based on several different criteria. The article was originally received in 2014 by the journal (www.elsevier.com/locate/bodyimage). They didn’t accept it until 2015. That means that some revision went into the article and that it is currently socially relevant. Exactly the kind of material that I am looking for.

 Secondly, the keywords encompass the kinds of ideas that I want to explore in not only my thesis, but my Social Justice Project (SJP).  Those keywords (hashtagged in this post) are: Positive body image, social identities, special populations, age, culture, and gender. All of these aspects absolutely tie into one’s perception of one’s body, and that Tiggemann is so inclusive gives me hope that this will be a useful article for my SJP.

 Finally, this article was found via the science database, so it includes more than an autoethonography. (altho autoethnography is a huge part of my thesis). The inclusion of hard and fast data is also verifiable by the HUGE list of references at the back of the article. So these are the original reasons I choose this article.

 After reading the article, I do not think I could have picked a better one to start with. The main focus of the article was to compile and analyze a bunch of different research done using  a Body Appreciation Scale. This scale was developed in order to measure body positivity in demographics beyond college women.  Much of Tiggemann’s article emphasized the value of bodily performance/function over appearance. Related to performance/function is eating habits, and those habits were more intuitive among people who had a more positive perception of themselves. Tiggemann mentions the difficulty in measuring Body Appreciation in other cultures because of linguistic difficulties. Much of the research began in Australia, but studies have been conducted in London, Sweden, and amongst other  ethnicities. This implies that the Body Positivity movement is a global phenomenom, and not restricted to the United States. Of course this would be the case, since I first heard of it on Tumblr. Anyways, probably the most interesting part of the article was that feminists do not necessarily espouse a positive view of their own body.

A little louder for those in the back.

 “One would expect a feminist identity to equip women with a heightened ability to critique traditional feminine roles and cultural pressures related to appearance and thinness. However, a number of studies do not find the predicted relationship between feminism and better body image…”

 THIS IS IT. This is GOLD. So, basically, appearance (esp. thinness) is so ingrained as a western beauty ideal that even feminists struggle with body appreciation. Of course, optimal functionality of the body should be a primary concern, but for those who have not experienced, say, a 40 lb ovarian cyst, the concern still presents itself superficially.  I intend to read this article twice more to try to glean a little more to apply to both my SJP and my thesis.