Giacometti 1

Maria-Helena Vieira da Silva, Les Nigelles, 1964, oil on canvas. © 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Framing It!

Location: Second-Floor Gallery Time Period: September 21, 2018 - February 17, 2019

Many factors must be weighed when exhibiting a work of art, from framing to installation to critical contextualization. A clumsy frame can transform a masterpiece into a visual offense while an elegant one can elevate an average picture into a showstopper. A colored wall can compete or accent a work’s formal composition while a white wall can let the work project stronger or fall in upon itself. All of these visual details can become lost if historical context is not provided, but too much may overwhelm the piece. An artist creates the work, but then must trust future owners and exhibitors to display it at its best. In their turn, private collectors, dealers, and museum curators all add their artistic flourish when it comes to frame a piece:  matte or float? Color or neutral? Period or aesthetically simpatico frame? This exhibition examines the different considerations that go into displaying an artwork and how it affects perception of the piece from meaning to value.

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to the celebration and analysis of the strongest aspects of mid- century modernism as reflected in the holdings of the Bechtler collection.

The collection comprises more than 1,400 works by 20th-century modern artists. Some works are accompanied by books, photographs and letters illustrating personal connections to the Bechtler family. 

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ex © 2023 Bechtler Museum of Modern Art All images and content copyright. All rights reserved. Credits: Design: MODE. Artwork Photography: JoAnn Sieburg-Baker, David Ramsey General Photography: Eric Bahrs, Mitchell Kearney, Gary O'Brien, Nancy Pierce, Maxim Vakhovskiy Copywriting: Pam Davis Charlotte Skyline Photo: courtesy of Visit Charlotte School of Paris: John Boyer (Copy), MODE (Design)
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