Let the art on your walls tell visitors who you are
Dear Debbie: My partner and I admit to being intimidated by art — what’s supposed to be good and how to hang it. We have eclectic tastes and simply fill our walls any way that fits. Have you any tips? Jane
Our collections reflect our journeys through life — they change and grow as we do. Favourite pictures make any space your home the minute you hang them up. It may be an object that you discovered long ago that connects you with happy thoughts, a concert poster, a series of seasonal sketches, a breathtaking photograph, or all of the above.
I am often asked how to hang these collections — what goes with what, do they have to match, do they need frames? It can be daunting to face a bare wall and envision how to exhibit your treasures.
I was particularly intrigued by salon-style art exhibits and how so many pictures could hang together and not overwhelm each other.
I visited Tammy Yiu, cofounder of Toronto’s Partial Gallery, to learn more about this skill, and her advice was encouraging. “There are no rules,” she said, “or if there are, they are meant to be broken. You are putting together a large puzzle, a mega-picture. And the intrigue and fun is how you braid unexpected pieces together.”
Helpful hints: Pick a theme and make a statement. It could be seasonal, sports-related, a particular colour, a specific subject, or, as Yiu has done here, a collection of what interests you or things that you love at the moment. Hint No. 2: Incorporate family heirlooms, photos or artwork into the grouping. Hint No. 3: Pay attention to framing. It shows respect for the picture. It can be expensive, but it is worth it.
The dining-room wall in the photo illustrates the many-layered appeal of the salon style. Each of these elements could stand (or hang) on their own, but there is a magic in the mix.
To the left are a series of three works by Anahita Azahimi from her series collage-diet, collage and ink on paper. They are float-mounted. Drift, a bold oil on canvas by Emal J. De Lanerolle, is the centrepiece, albeit not centred. We are seeing many large canvas paintings gallery-wrapped, where the canvas wraps around a wood frame rather than adding a frame outside the picture.
An archival print on fine art paper by Adria Mirabelli gives way to abstract shapes and mono shades, strong enough to balance with Drift.
Then, in a very personal note, Yiu has mounted and framed a Chinese “Poem to Granddaughter” she received from her grandfather. Her sense of style and whimsy continues with the final piece in her mega-picture, a steel sculpture, which is in fact a laundry hanger.
The art on your wall tells a story about who you are. If you are looking for a special piece of art, but are reluctant to buy, try art rental, which gives you the chance to live with the piece for three, six or nine months, and then decide. Wherever you live, check your local art store for rental services. Show off your personality and celebrate your passions.
Debbie Travis’s House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at twitter.com/debbie_travis, and visit Debbie’s website, debbietravis.com.