Home, making: framing

I’m going to get a little philosophical this time. My idea for this article is not about making something physical. It’s not even about playing with immaterial materials like when I wrote last time about using light and color and shadow. This time I want to encourage you to think about making meaning. It’s a strangely simple idea - out of all the work that we do, all the art and craft we create, we should also take time to decide what out of all that matters. 

It’s something we do all the time, really. When you summarize a book or TV show plot, you decide what to include or leave out. You decide what versions of something to keep, or which pictures to post or not post. And it’s even more intuitive than that. When you take a picture in the first place, you decide what is in the frame of the camera, and where it is in that frame, too. You show us what is important to you by how you frame the picture. You create the meaningfulness of something by framing it.

It’s the same in conversation. I often hear people talk about how to frame a discussion or a problem or an experience. Part of this ‘framing’ is adding context, information that helps someone understand the point or the reason to have a discussion. And like a physical frame, that explanation clarifies a boundary of what is supposed to be in the discussion and what is not. It’s a very helpful way to make sure that the discussion is meaningful and not just merging into all the other possible topics, ideas and feelings that could be connected to the topic.

What’s helpful about making artwork meaningful? It plays a big part in building confidence. When you can say “this is special and important”, the artist, kid or adult, gets to know that their work has significance, and that they communicated something through their work.

Putting something in a frame and displaying it also helps make that artwork a reference. Anyone who sees the work in the frame will get a leaping off point, a place to start with new ideas that build on what’s there. I find this is especially true for my own work, that when I look at it again I think of the next revision or version or extension of that work. I think of this as remixing, rather than improving. That helps me be more at ease with my art; it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece to be worth framing, or calling it special, it just has to be interesting to me in some way. And then it’s easier to stay confident. 

There are plenty of ways to do this at home! Of course there are a million places to get frames. Don’t forget secondhand shops, too. Plenty of framed artwork there just waiting to be repurposed on your work or your kids’ work. But there are other ways to ‘frame’ other than a adding a rectangular wooden border. I’ve hung wire tightened between two L-brackets and use small clothespins to hang artwork. I recommend small clips because the big long ones are too heavy and fall down, bending the artwork. Also think about what you might do if it’s not 2D art. Small plexiglass boxes are cool to put a sculpture on. Don’t forget about hanging from the ceiling, either. Just a screw-in hook in the ceiling can help out an otherwise inconvenient or unused space in the room.

You decide if your work and your kids’ work is special! Frame it!