Hayward Zwerling’s Creations
Picture Frames
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All paintings by Gail Zwerling unless noted.
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Does the frame matter? Fifteen Frames For Picasso’s Don Quixote (1955).
For the last 3+ decades, I have done woodworking as a hobby, furniture, picture frames, and assorted other things. I began woodworking after my endocrine fellowship, and I learned how to build things by reading (the Internet did not exist) and by making mistakes “trial / error.” This hobby was interrupted by the birth of my second child, leading to a hiatus that lasted until her 16th birthday.
When I returned woodworking, I discovered that I had forgotten the how to do woodworking. Recognizing the need for simple projects to reacquaint myself with the craft, I decided to focus on creating picture frames. Given Gail’s interest and expertise in oil painting, it seemed like a reasonable choice.
As I delved deeper into making picture frame, I decided I need to see how far I could push the boundaries of frame design. My initial goal was to design and construct a frame that would be unique and stand on its own artistic legs; at the time I was not concerned whether my frame enhanced the painting.
Ultimately, I asked myself:
- Is the sole purpose of a frame to enhance the painting, to fade into the background, and ne’er leave 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 perspective, or elicit a smile?
- Does the frame hold any significance beyond its function of containing the picture?
- Does the size/shape/design of frame matter?
The above photograph is a collage of several of my frames, which have been scaled so that the size of the contained Pablo Picasso’s drawing of Don Quixote (1955) remains approximately the same. In reality, these frames vary in size, ranging from 12” x 12” to 24” x 36”.
The primary objective of this exercise was to address the seven questions posed above.
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Walnut frame, about 38″ x 44″
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Ripple frame with Pacific Ocean Kauai photo
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Off-center frame enlarge
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Sierra’s star frame, oak enlarge
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Odd (1,3,5,7) Frame enlarge
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Rotated frame #1, oak enlarge
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Bottom-heavy frame, wenge
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Birdhouse frame, padauk, ebony
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Dad’s frame, cherry and wenge
photo by Jessica Z Diamond
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Dylan’s frame
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Colorful frame with ebony corners enlarge
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Rabbit ear frame, walnut and gold leaf enlarge
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Calder’s rocking horse frame, walnut branch enlarge
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Devil frame, mahogany
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Compression frame, oak, cherry and steel rod enlarge
Compression frame #2, oak, cherry and steel rod
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Black background frame enlarge
painting by ZsuZanna Donnell
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Rotated frame #2, oak
lithograph by Alexander Calder
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Corner Frame, walnut enlarge
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Platter frame, oak
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Pyramid base frame, birdseye maple
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Leopard wood frame enlarge
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Horns frame, mahogany
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Hickory and cherry
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Brass and wood frames (walnut & maple, hickory & walnut, coming soon: butternut & ebony)
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Is it the Frame or Is it the Painting?
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