March 13, 2010, Julian Manelli

MARCH 13, 2010 Julian Manelli presented the "art of framing art" to 25 members and guests

“My discussion today will be about framing, but first I want to tell you about our framing studio and location. Mat About You Gallery and Framing Studio is a family-run and owned business. All work is done by us — we help you decide on a design presentation and then we actually create it. We are proud of what we do. We focus on you and your art to provide you with quality, value and timeliness.”

The gallery/shop is located in the beautiful, historic town of Ellicott City, founded in 1772 by Quakers with many of the original granite buildings still standing. After visiting, (directions can be found at www.mataboutyou.com), you can have quite an enjoyable time in the charming village. For more information on Ellicott City, check out www.historicec.com and www.howardcountymd.gov/HCT/HCT.

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Mr. Manelli begin his discussion by quoting a great artist who said, "A good piece of art deserves a good frame and a bad piece of art needs one." This quote is from none other than Edgar Degas.

His quote expresses the importance of a frame. To put it another way, framing is like a stage on which the art is performing. It is a critical part of the whole experience.

To discuss framing, Mr. Manelli answered the following questions:

• What is the function of framing?

• How did framing evolve, i.e., its history?

• How are today’s frames fabricated or assembled?

What is the function of framing?

Framing serves three functions. First, it is there to protect the art; second to conserve the art; and third to enhance the art. These points will be discussed further in the following paragraphs.

How did framing evolve, i.e., its history?

The earliest frames were for icons, that is, religious images. These frames were constructed by carpenters, for the most part, and enclosed the religious art to protect it, e.g., as it was carried in a religious procession, etc. Images were also incorporated into altars where they were surrounded by wood or stone for protection. This was the beginning of framing. The carpenters and stone masons executed these earliest examples of frames from the 11^th through 14^th centuries. You can observe that their work while protecting the art actually enhanced it.

As art began to portray more secular subjects, for example, portraits, landscapes and still lifes, etc., frames began to evolve. The role of protection continued but enhancement began to play a very important, if not central, part of the frame’s function. From the 15^th century to the present, frames have become quite complex requiring more than just carpentry.

For example, gold leaf was applied to frames because it showed the wealth of the art patron and helped brighten the art by gathering the light in the room. Gold and silver reflect light well and these metals bounced light onto the art that they surrounded.

The frame itself became more complex to construct and was not just the product of the carpenter shop. Inlays, finishes with stains, gesso carving, appliqués, etc. were added. By the 18^th century the frame became “molding” (made of wood or some other material) and its manufacture became an industry. Today’s molding is constructed in shops in which designers, craftsmen, specialized workers and machines finish the molding into varying styles and colors. It comes in lengths or sticks and is cut separately by framers who actually make the frames. The variety of available moldings today is almost endless.

How are today’s frames fabricated or assembled ?

Today works of art are not only created on board or wood; they can be done on paper, tissues, cloth and, of course, stretched canvas. Therefore, depending on the medium, the framing design and composition will vary.

For example, Mr. Manelli framed the painting of an SAA member, Joe Homes, to demonstrate some of the kinds of frames and glass that are available today. The portrait was a work on paper using oil paint. He worked with Mr. Homes to design a frame that would enhance his art. The completed framing uses complete conservation techniques and meets the Library of Congress’ standards for the preservation of works of art.

Two moldings were selected—the outer molding was a 2-inch cherry wood finished composite board molding fabricated out of particle board and laminated with a wood veneer finish. (In today’s world of moldings, molding can be made of all wood, particle board, plastic, aluminum or wood laminated with a variety of materials including gesso.)[Examples of these forms of molding were passed around the group.]

The second molding was ¾ inch solid maple. This inner molding into which the art was fitted serves two functions—creating a spacer so that the glass did not touch the art and a distinct accent around the art to enhance it. (There are many other spacer materials and techniques used including mats, liners, fillets, and gutters)

Because Mr. Homes’ art work was on paper, glass was used to keep it from being damaged by light and dirt. The glass used in this case was museum quality. (A discussion of different types of glass has been provided to you to supplement this presentation.) The glass was placed on the second molding.

Before fitting the art in the second maple frame, the rabbet of the frame was lined with barrier film to prevent the acid of the wood from corrupting the art.

The art was mounted on an acid free board. The mounting was done using hinges made of Japanese rice paper and mulberry glue—both are PH neutral and can be removed with dampening.

For the final assembly the museum glass was placed on top of the maple frame, and the outer cherry finished frame was fitted over both the glass and the maple frame. The two frames and glass were dart nailed together. This made the frame complete and the mounted art was placed in this assembly and affixed with framers’ points.

The completed assembly was closed with a dust cover, and hardware for proper hanging was attached.

To review, frames may include all or some the following elements depending on the design:

Molding

Glass or glazing

Mounting

Spacers or accents, such as mats, liners, additional moldings or fillets

Assembly

Hardware and closing

There were many questions and answers that help the attendees better understand the fine craft of framing. Mr. Manelli concluded by inviting the members of SAA to visit his gallery and have their works of art framed by him and his staff.

 Mr. Manelli's article on GLASS, Framing Spotlight: Glazing Options, that he prepared for SAA is below, under the pictures.

Submitted by Arlene K. Polangin

Framing Spotlight: Glazing Options, by Julian Manelli for SAA

Ultraviolet light is present in nearly all forms of light, including sunlight, incandescent light, fluorescent light, and halogen light. UV light exposure causes artwork to fade, yellow, and become brittle. Although UV protective products will slow such deterioration, it is still important to hang valuable art away from direct sources of ultraviolet light.

At Mat About You Gallery and Framing Studio we carry a variety of U.V. protective glass and acrylic in both clear and non-glare options. For budget picture framing needs, we also feature similar products without UV protection.
Although ten choices in glazing protection may seem daunting, our designers will quickly guide you to the right choice based upon your needs and budget. Here is the run down on our glazing options:

Tru-Vue Museum Glass & Optimum Museum Acrylic™
The newest addition to our line-up of ten glazing choices is Museum Glass. Museum Glass is our finest grade premium glass. Optimum Museum Acrylic™ is our premium acrylic option for oversize and security installations.

Museum Glass is a truly an extraordinary product. It provides the same UV blocking protection of Conservation Clear and Conservation Reflection Control in that it blocks more than 98% of the ultraviolet rays in the 300-380 nm range. In addition, Museum Glass has a very special anti-reflective surface far superior to a typical non-glare glass. A special coating is used in extremely thin layers to break up the incoming light rays so that they don't bounce back off the glass, producing a glare. Because the rays don't bounce off, the picture is actually more illuminated than with clear glass. Clear glass transmits 91% of light to the artwork, while Museum Glass transmits more than 97% of light to the artwork. This improves color intensity and clarity.

Tru-Vue Museum Optimum Acrylic is the best acrylic choice for museum and original artwork or valued prints needing superior glare-free clarity and UV protection. Both Museum Glass and Museum Acrylic offer similar protective and visual advantages.

Tru-Vue Conservation Clear Glass (U.V. Glass) filters 98% of damaging ultraviolet light. This is the glass you see on most of the art in our gallery and is our number one selling glass.

Tru Vue Conservation Reflection Control Glass (Non-glare U.V. Glass) has the same U.V. filtering quality as clear glass, but has an etched surface to reduce glare. This surface softens the image with a resulting slight loss in clarity and color intensity.

Tru-Vue Conservation Clear Acrylite (U.V. Plex) filters 98% of damaging ultraviolet light and provides an extremely clear view of the image without the slight greenish tint that is inherent in regular glass. Like other acrylic products, it is ideal for shipping and installing oversize pieces of art.

Conservation Reflection Control Acrylite (Non-Glare U.V.Plex) filters 98% of ultraviolet light and has an etched surface that is slightly less distorting than its glass equivalent. We use this product in many corporate installations where large windows produce glare, and we need an affordable acrylic product to reduce reflection.

Tru-Vue AR Conservation Clear Acrylite (Abrasion Resistant U.V. Plex) is similar to U.V. Plex with the addition of a scratch resistant surface. This product is ideal for office installations where janitorial services may be cleaning the framed artwork.

Tru-Vue Premium Clear Glass is a quality clear picture framing glass for budget projects that do not require U.V. protection.

Tru-Vue Premium Clear Acrylite (Clear Plex) is a general purpose, defect-free acrylic for picture framing without UV protection.
Preservation Spotlight: Image Permanence Institute--Digital and Traditional Photography

As we see different types of digital prints and photos brought in to the shop on a daily basis, it is important for us to know what type of print you bring in, especially if the image needs mounting. We have done mounting tests on various types of digital output, and we know that some are safe to mount. As this field is constantly changing, we will continue to offer expanded information on this ever-changing field.