Framing prints for an exhibition that are different sizes. What would look best?

[WannabeFramer]

Good morning, me (again....!)

I am framing around 20 pieces for an exhibition and the prints are coming in dribs and drab over a few weeks. The six larger prints have just arrived which are multi-aperture and they are all different image sizes. The rest will be single images.

Other than wanting a white mount and slim grey frame, the customer is leaving it to me and I'm trying to work out the best plan of attack

Would it look better to have a consistent overall frame size, with the mounts sized to accommodate this. Or to have consistent mount borders, but then each frame will be a different size?

I will go back to the customer before starting, but he says he struggles to make decisions and doesn't want to become overwhelmed with choices. I need to just suggest to him which way would look best really.

My instinct is to have the frames consistent rather than the mounts but I defer to your collective experience.

Thank you once again.

[WannabeFramer]

Oh I forgot to say. The original intention was for six large prints and 12 small, which is why I'm thinking keeping consistent frame sizes.....

The customer hadn't seen the finished artwork until it came back from the printers and opened the package here.

[prospero]

LJ Hayseed is a good neutral shade. Not too white and not too yellowy.

[iorek]

Much, much better to have each frame the appropriate size for it's own image. Trying to have everything identical sizes is a recipe for an unenjoyable job and a final product that doesn't look as good as it can. IMHO.

Inform the customer that best practice when hanging picture is to have the largest at the top, down to the smallest at the bottom.

For example

LARGE

Med

sm

[WannabeFramer]

Thank you both.

From what I understand, the pictures will be arranged in a single row horizontally around the room. Would that make a difference to the overall effect?

[iorek]

I would still err on making the frame work for the image, rather than making the room tie together. If someone wants to purchase an artwork, they will want the framing to be right for the artwork. Again, that's only my perspective on it, YMMV.

We are more known as a gallery than a framer and our golden rule is 'Do right by the artwork", so that's what informs our decision making in such cases.

We have, once, displayed work around the room in a single line in such a fashion - the way to make it work with different sized artworks is to get a laser level so that each artwork is level on the bottom.

Good luck

[JKX]

I agree with working from the art out and not the frame in.
A lot of different sized images all in the same size frames will make many of them have unequal borders and, depending on how much difference there is in sizes, some may look a bit incongruous.

I’d be wondering if gallery and/or artist had bought a load of frames from ikea or somewhere, and made them work.

I don’t suppose the decision is yours on hanging but in one line I would definitely have them centred, to keep things as close to eye level as possible, plus it just looks good.

[Justintime]

I'm of the opposite experience. I've had a artist bring in 15 pieces of work all individual sizes. We've picked three size ranges and made sure that there is at least the minimum mount widths requested. In my opinion the uniformity of frames enhances the exhibition. Also in my opinion, framing for an exhibition is always a compromise, the artist has a tight budget, the gallery prefers neutral framing styles to help sell the work. I quite often reframe gallery bought work because it was too neutral for the end customer.

[JFeig]

As an observation over many years it is in the eye of the viewer who is looking at the art.

It depends on who you want to please. Generally they look at each framed picture (s) one at a time and not as a group. So if you are aiming to have a display most pleasing to the spectator vs the gallery owner or designer, the option is to have the frame and mount complimentary with the art.

[pramsay13]

My worry would be choosing one way or another and then the customer doesn't like it.
Show them examples of both and get a decision.
For what it's worth I think you should always frame to the picture, rather than make a picture fit a certain size frame.