After I completed my formal education, I took up woodworking as a hobby and pursued it passionately for seven years. However, life intervened with the birth of my second child, and I had to set aside the craft. Sixteen years later, I found time to return to an unfinished woodworking project (chest of drawers) I had begun nearly two decades earlier. To my dismay, I discovered that I had forgotten much of what I once knew.
In order to reacquaint myself with the craft, I needed to work on some simple projects. Given my wife’s expertise and passion for oil painting, making picture frames seemed like a natural choice.
As my woodworking skills improved, I became intrigued by the artistic potential of frames. Could a picture frame move beyond its traditional role of simply presenting the painting?
As I delved deeper into making picture frames (and other things), I decided to see how far I could push the boundaries of frame design. My goal was to design frames that would be unique, might be considered “art” in their own right, and/or precipitate a conversation between the viewer and the frame. I also became less concerned whether my frame enhanced the painting – fully aware that this path would engender the ire of most/?all painters.
Ultimately, this led me to ask:
- Is the sole purpose of a frame to enhance the painting, fading into the background without leaving an impression?
- Can a frame be considered art in its own right?
- Can the frame “reframe” the intended message of the painting?
- Is it permissible for the frame to surpass the painting’s visual impact?
- Can the frame prompt the viewer to contemplate a new idea, experience an emotion, or have an epiphany?
- Does the frame hold any significance beyond its “container” function?
- Does the size/shape/design of the frame matter?
The fifteen frames above are, in retrospect, my exploration of these questions, using Pablo Picasso’s drawing of Don Quixote (1955) as a constant. The frames in the collage are scaled so that Picasso’s drawing remains consistent in size. In reality, the frames vary in size from 12” x 12” to 24” x 36”.
So, I ask you, does the frame matter? Is one frame “better” than the others–either in combination with the drawing or on its own? How would you now answer the above seven questions.
Email me (hzmd at me dot com) your thoughts.
Hayward Zwerling
7 January 2025