Object Lesson

I had a series of phone calls from a prospective client who wondered if her idea for a framing project was possible.  Once she described it, I was really enthusiastic about it--very unusual and it involved 3-D objects (yay!) --and I assured her she called the right place.

Her idea:  a display of eyeglasses in a shadowbox.  A gift for her boyfriend who just had lasik eye surgery.  Very clever.  Here they are just laying in the box to help me visualize the layout and spacing.

The client coordinated with her bf's mother and located the very sweet Harry Potter eyewear from his youth (uppermost), through the ages of wire & half-wire ovals, to the recent very mature designer specs by Armani and Face à Face (lowermost two). 

I decided that this project could and should be done adhesive-free.  I first tried sewing them down to the matboard using elasticized thread for its great gripping ability.  I would only need to sew in two key places.

But then I hated that it was so visibile.

So I used clear monofilament which required each pair of glasses to be attached in four places.  But it looked so much better.  For spacing, I set my topmost and lowermost glasses in place first.

And then spaced the others between.  Since the Harry Potters were so much larger than the other lenses, the interval is greater for those to the one beneath, and all the rest are evenly spaced. 

 

I love the look.  Hunter green with a burl frame always connotes a gentleman's study to me, and this was the intention of the client (with a bit of a wink ;).  Museum glass perfectly completes the exercise. 

Street Cred

(Don't I look tough?)

My clients are some pretty cool cats.  First, there was that limited Steve Powers print from a few months back, then some wonderful lady brought in TWO Dr Lakra prints (and I suck because not only did I neglect to photograph the finished frames, but I am also about to miss the exhibit), and this week yet another client has brought in an oversize printed canvas emblazoned with a Banksy image.

Banksy is a very well-known (ok, nobody knows his true identity) London street artist who in 2008 curated The Cans Festival, an abandoned London tunnel which over the course of one evening was transformed into an amazing gallery of stencilled street art by Banksy and a handpicked group of other talented folks working in the same milieu. 

The "shop" section of Banksy's website states: 

"Banksy does not produce greeting cards or print photo-canvases or paint commissions or sell freshly baked bagels. Please take anything from this site and make your own (non-commercial use only thanks).

Banksy cannot be found on facebook/twitter/myspace etc."

And hence, a large format photo of Banksy's contribution to the entrance of the Cans Festival tunnel exists, and was printed on canvas.  Below is the finished gallery wrap in the shop.

Oh, and the client for this particular piece happens to be a celebrated Philadelphia Eagle.  Go birds!  : P