Here We Go Again!!!!

SquareFrames · Post by **SquareFrames** » Wed 05 Jan, 2005 12:03 pm

Hi Folks,

Happy New Year to you all, hope you all had a good Christmas, and here's wishing you all a successful 2005. BUT........Here We Go Again...

I will start this posting with a simple question.....When Will Framers Ever Learn?

Now normally on the first day back after a Christmas holiday period, its a bit of time for reflection and a bit of tidying up, etc......but oh no!........first job of 2005, 2 valubale Limited Edition prints, one by Peter Curling (no one can put a value on this one as yet, but suffice to say it wasnt cheap) and one by Nigel Hemming (worth at least £700+), both framed by the same framer, both double mounted, with what I can and will only call 'Crap' board, then the mounts stuck to the border of the print with double sided sticky tape. This done after the prints had been stuck down onto Self Adhesive Board. The Hemming one had also been stcuk to the back of the mount with cheap masking tape, whcih had all but dried up, and then both frames taped up at the rear with the same masking tape. I was informed of how much the framing cost (I wont mention this for fear of falling off this stool in disgust)

Have certain framers no idea of how to preserve potentially valuable items, or do they just not care? You can make up yopur own minds?

Steven

JFeig · Post by **JFeig** » Wed 05 Jan, 2005 1:26 pm

I agree that more work is being to substandards than should be by unethical framers. This is no different than any other industry.

With that said: or was the instructions of the customer to to the job "as cheep as possible"

For this added alternative (I still would not use masking tape) my work orders specify that the work being done is "not to PPFA / FACTS standards" and or "work done with no warranty" .

These quotes are line items in my "other items" charges of my POS system.
All forms are signed by a customer to "authorize the work" to be done as specified.

SquareFrames · Post by **SquareFrames** » Wed 05 Jan, 2005 9:43 pm

Hi,

This job had nothing to do with cost! It should (would) not matter one jot whether these jobs were price orientated or not, as they obviously wernt, (knowing what was actually paid, far and above the normal for the size of the work produced, never mind the standard), this was just sheer butchery and wanton neglect by a so called professional picture framer, out for what they could screw out of decent hard working, collectors.

Surely even a novice framer (with little knowledge) would want to produce 'good enough' work that would at least make them proud and make their customer's come back, eh? A novice framer with 3 simple, basic machines, i.e. a mitre saw, a frame clamp and a very basic mount cutter could have produced better work than this was presented to me, and probably taken more care over the end result. And anyone, and by anyone, I really do mean 'anyone' with a shred of decency, a brain cell, or an ounce of sense, would know that if you are entrusted to frame someone's work, and in this case 'Valuable' work, you at least take care of it. The framer in question (ask no questions, you get told nothing, but I know who it is) knew the value of the particular items, simply not only were they told, they also sell 'many' similar prints by the same 2 artists. So they had no excuse for this.

Here endeth the first rant of 2005.

Steven

JFeig · Post by **JFeig** » Wed 05 Jan, 2005 9:57 pm

Oh... I see, Just the standard run of the mill unethical slob of a framer!

SquareFrames · Post by **SquareFrames** » Thu 06 Jan, 2005 9:01 am

Hi Jerome,

Yep, you got it in one! The worst display of deliberate destruction of highly collectable prints I have ever seen by a 'Professional' picture framer, just out to make a quick buck! Backfired on them somewhat, eh? Or did it? They got paid for the 2 jobs in the first place, damn shame that!!

Ah well, I look forward to the rest of his remounting / reframing jobs over the coming weeks and months.

Steven

markw · Post by **markw** » Thu 06 Jan, 2005 9:37 am

Steven
You should know by now that you probably wont hear one word of complaint against the framer concerned - we generally sell to an uneducated customer (with reference to framing standards).

I have often had work in for reframing that is well below standard - when you explain to the customer that their valuable work would benefit from a new mount how many reply - how much will it cost? How many galleries frame work to the cheapest cost they can get. how many artists are happy to cut a mount out of an old piece of board with a stanley knife?

Sadly the answer is too many. It is a sad fact that the majority of framers couldnt care less about framing standards. Its been said before, how many framers are members of the Fine Art Trade Guild? I would love to know the figures but at a guess i would say less than 10%. How many artists - probably less than 1%. So who's going to educate, certainly not the FATG - they cant even get the message accross to the "proffesionals".

The question has to be asked of your customer " why dont you take legal action against X" - or why dont you complain to the FATG (probably know the answer to that one). Suspect answer to first question will be that the framer concerned didnt do any less than specified - framed and mounted the work as defined by customer - no case to answer - customer got what they asked for.
As a proffesional framer i hope that i always exceed my customers expectations because i take pride in my work - and i know from experience that every framer i meet at FATG branch meetings has a similar philosophy. that statement leaves some very big questions for the FATG as a body working at national level to raise standards.