A large artwork can have a wonderful presence, but it asks more of its frame than a smaller piece. The weight of the glazing increases, the wooden rails have farther to span, and the hanging system places greater forces on the structure. A good large custom frame therefore needs to do a bit more work with its joinery, backing, and reinforcement.
I recently made this 720 × 862 mm solid-oak frame to fit a work in acrylic by Argentinian painter Alfredo Garzon (the piece is dated 1992). This was a larger frame, especially for the 21 × 21 mm I offer via my custom-framing design tool, which is how this frame was ordered, and so it offers a good case study in how I put together and plan for custom framing of larger artworks.
A main consideration is that hanging art from a wire always puts the mounting points under compression: The D-rings are drawn together by the weight of the frame. For larger, heavier frames this can deform the frame and put unwanted pressure on the glazing and the artwork package. To counteract this, larger frames usually need extra support.
A single horizontal crossbar is often enough to prevent the two sides from drawing together. But for more slender designs an internal “strainer” can distribute the forces more comprehensively; this is a hidden secondary wooden frame fitted behind the artwork package to reinforce the visible outer frame.
The strainer is constructed using half-lap joints and is glued before being installed in the oak frame. The strainer is fixed to the oak using screws and metal fixing which are inset flush to the rear of the frame. Importantly the strainer is not glued to the oak itself, so that it can be removed without damaging the outer frame if maintenance is eventually required.
Larger frames also require stronger corner joints. This oak frame is assembled using hand-cut mitred half-lap joints, although for frames of this size I sometimes use keyed or splined mitres instead. The half-lap creates a larger gluing surface, while keys and splines reinforce the joint across the corner and help it resist opening or movement. Furthermore, the exposed end grain contrasts with the body of the oak and gives the corners subtle visual interest.
Another challenge for my small workshop was handling larger materials. In this example frame, the passe-partout was required to be cut from an A0 sheet, beyond my A1 cutter, so I was required to order that element from specialist suppliers Star Frame - who were able to cut the passe-partout to size in their workshop in Krimpen aan de Lek from Museum quality 1200 gram matboard.
Large and unusually sized artworks can be ordered through my custom-framing service, using the same process as smaller pieces. As with all my frames, they are supplied ready to hang, and additional supports, advanced joinery, all other additions are included in the quoted price.
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