Framing Stretched Canvas

There are many new trends in framing artworks, whether the art is on paper, panel, illustration board or canvas. For this article, we will explore some of the newest framing ideas for the presentation of artworks on canvas. Some of the suggestions are made in an effort to protect the artwork and some are strictly for visual appeal. But, taking everything into consideration, there are lots of new looks for canvas art.

Years ago, artists developed a simple type of framing called strip framing. It allowed the art to be displayed in a very inexpensive way and gave the appearance of being framed. The strip frames were nothing more than strips of wood that were cut into lengths and tacked onto the edges of the stretched canvas. This simple and low-cost strip frame allowed the entire front of the painting to show. Artists loved it for the low cost and the full visibility of their work.

Today there is an advanced and quite handsome frame that allows the entire canvas to be displayed with no edge loss, and it is called a float frame. Artists who like wraparound images in their work use these frames for a clean, contemporary look and total image visibility. The canvas actually sets onto a shallow box-type ledge and is attached with screws from the back of the frame. The part of the frame that is viewed from the front is set away from the edges of the frame like a tray, allowing for full frontal and edge viewing.

When you choose a frame that will surround a stretched canvas, it is very wise to consider the material from which the frame is constructed. Wood is prone to ooze resin over the course of years of display in the dry environment of homes or offices. Conservationists recommend that the rabbet (the tiny ledge that holds the painting in the frame) be coated with an inert sealer so that the discoloration and acids from the wood have a barrier to hold them away from the painting. The coating can be something as simple as two to three coats of painting medium or any acid-free polymer gel.

Museums and conservators have raised a very important question about the preservation of artworks on canvas. Heretofore, it has been considered poor preservation to enclose a painting under glass. However, new thoughts have arisen that voice concerns about prolonged exposure to damage from environmental contamination. It now seems that the protection offered by displaying paintings behind glass far outweighs the "suffocation" that the art might suffer. Air will still be able to get into the art through the back side of the framed package and the frontal attack by dirt and pollution will be greatly diminished. But always space the glass above the surface of the art. Do this with a liner or spacers to elevate the glass so that it does not touch any part of the painting's surface.