FM Living with Art By Michael Beauchemin
For some people purchasing art is taxing. Concerns that the art selected might invite criticism from friends with taunts like, “What were you thinking?” Though fear not, as truth will have it: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The fact of the matter, is that the choice of artwork to be displayed in one’s home is personal and requires no explanation. A few of my friends, due to indecision, simply live with blank walls in their houses calling it a minimal- ist, uncluttered look. Thus, their houses remain empty in a way that seems to be missing the depth of who they are. Some people I’ve spoken with are apprehensive about displaying artwork in their homes because it may clash with a sofa, or it may not perfectly match that plaid bedspread in their room.
Other people are disconcerted as to if an art collec- tion in their home would convey pretentiousness or appear incongruent amidst their perfectly thought- out décor. They wonder if their quaint artistic collec- tion might beckon the rest of their family to rec- ommend a garage-sale. There is no room for fear, when it comes to self expression. Selecting art that is meaningful to you is all that truly matters.
The art we live with creates a bonding relationship between the owner of the artwork and the artwork itself. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a college degree in art history, or that you never visited an art museum in your life; art is a very personal ex- perience that transcends the fundamentals. Once a person gets over his aversion of selecting artwork, the next question is: “where do I put this in my home”?
Here are a few tips to keep in mind, when you have made the decision and bought your artistic pieces. For large artwork allow ample wall space, so that the painting can breathe and have suitable floor space, so as not crowd large sculptural pieces. Large art is diminished if crowded by smaller art creations, or placed amongst other clutter. It’s also best to hang paintings at eye level so the piece feels comfortable to view, while remaining anchored to the room. Most importantly, make sure there’s adequate lighting to bring out all the details and rich colors of your masterpiece. Halogen lighting gives off the cleanest light and spotlights help put the focus on the artwork, not the entire wall or floor space surrounding the piece. It is suggested that the artwork you select have a thematic blend with your décor so that the environment compliments the piece. The exception to the rule is if your interior design is eclectic, in which case you have li- cense to do just about anything, and it will still look fantastic! This supports the argument that every- one’s home interior should be eclectic, because if you mismatch something in your living room -- who cares? It’s eclectic, and that’s all good.
As most people know, small artwork such as framed renderings, prints or photographs can be clustered together; but this may require some symmetry or consistency in subject matter, color, or theme; to make the grouping of artwork successful. Before randomly and repeatedly hammering numerous nails into your pristine walls, try to find that perfect place where you can take your time to arrange and re-arrange your items until the display feels satisfy- ing to your eyes. The floor or a large table top does suffice for this important step. Once you’ve got your arrangement the way you like it; measure the space between the framed pieces, as well as, the hanging wire height behind each frame. This is ac- complished by pulling the hanging wire upwards at the center with the end of a measuring tape, until the wire is taut. You’ll end up with a more accurate measurement to hang the pictures more precisely. The use of a carpenter’s level is also recommended.
Continued on page... 29 6 FOCUS of SWFL 2010
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