An Artist”s studio, a “view behind the scenes”.

Posted by Ivan Grieve on

I have taken time to carefully select the materials at every stage of my creative process. Choosing what I am going to use during this creative process, through to presenting the finished work means care and consideration must be taken at every step.

 

In this blog I shall share some “behind the scenes” information and images regarding the photographing of my work and the mounting of original work. These are both key parts in the presentation stage of my work and are both extremely important as I shall outline below. Attention to detail as you shall discover below is really important.

 

So let me start with the photography and the reason that I consider it to be so important. I make digital submissions for exhibitions that always require good imagery. Then there are magazines and the various profile pages that I use and pay for, these include Curatorspace and a-n the artists information company. Who knows when a gallery director or potentially important client may be looking at an image of my work, so it must be best. First impressions really do count on a website, original work must be presented perfectly. For fine art prints too, it is so vital to have high quality images to create wonderful Giclee prints.

Great images are also so important to document my work and have an accurate and professional record of it. The digitally stored images can be easily accessed for talks and presentations to peer groups and galleries. It is for this reason I believe it is a real MUST to set aside time each week for documenting and describing work, keeping up to date with each aspect of my whole practice…even writing these blogs!.

 

The images need to be photographed in natural light on a cloud covered day (to avoid glare) or inside if the weather does not permit using a studio set up which I have shown here. I tend to do both so I can choose the right image for the right occasion. The colour saturation, white balance, brilliance, vibrancy etc can then be re edited to match as close to the original as possible.

 

Mounting of the work, using Daler Rowney “White Core” which is certified by the Fine Art trade Guild. The archival quality mount board is used in a system to “envelope” each work before being placed in specially sourced packaging for artwork shipping. The work is attached to the under mount with T- hinge (as pictured) using Hayaku Japanese hinging tape. T-hinges allow the work to expand and contract with humidity and temperature changes. This is turn means the artwork is less likely to cockle than a continuous hinge or attaching the artwork at each corner. A final point, I prefer to have the hinge attached to the artwork by just enough to give support, say 5mm -8mm.

                          

 

 

 

The paper used for the tape combines the long , strong fibres of Japanese Mulberry paper with an acid free, water activated adhesive that can be easily reversed using just water.

 

When using this system the hinge should be same paper weight or weaker than the art work, not heavier, so that in case of an accident, the hinge would tear, not the artwork.

This is my preference for mounting, though artwork could be attached using corner pockets, platform mount and float hinges.

Archival Fine Art Trade Guild Hayaku landscapes Mount board mounting work natural photographing work studio T- hinge

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