Recent Fascination with Unframed Canvases

 

The techniques of an artist are typically analyzed by color palette, brush strokes, thick paint application and licked surfaces among so many others. Yet lately, from my observations of a Contemporary Korean art exhibit, I noticed that the artist's use of the sides of their canvas adds to their work on the main, frontal plane. It has now become a bit of a game for me to decipher something new from these four surfaces attached to the central and grand spectacle of the work.

I have noticed that artists usually do not really acknowledge these parts of the canvas and do not paint them with the main subject. Often times, there is simply a small bit of paint touching these planes; remnants of trying to paint solely on the front of the canvas. However, even with this intention, or lack of intention, to add anything to the sides, there is variation- watercolors, oil, acrylic, collage, these media all act differently. Along with the materials comes the position of the canvas when it was painted/collaged/drawn on.

One of my personal favorite effects on the canvas edges is dripping paint from the canvas being painted completely horizontally. Gravity pulls the paint to the back of the canvas and onto the floor. When the canvas is then dry and hung vertically on a wall, the work is perceived in a different manner than it was created, and this can be determined purely from the drips. In a similar manner, angled drips mean a whole other thing. Angled drips mean that an easel was used. I find it entertaining to guess what angle the artist's easel was based on the drips. Perhaps this is all a pointless analysis of art, but it could hold something interesting in the idea. We all know that Pollock's drip paintings were created on the floor, but who knows what other ways these Modern and Contemporary artists are applying paint to the canvas.

 This is an exaggeration, but I couldn't find any appropriate side drips.

Lastly, there are the works that were finished and were meant to be unframed. The image wraps all the way around to the back of the canvas. The sides are used as an extension of the front plane. These are the works that I imagine the artists finished so that they could stand on their own, fully completed. Why the drips and bare edges of the canvases have not been covered? Who knows. Perhaps it is just a raw "this is what I made" sort of appearance, but no matter what, I have learned to greatly love unframed canvases. I do admit that there is nothing like a Rembrandt in its original, tattered frame, yet hte unframed works of the Contemporary art world have intrigued me. It's just one more reminder that paintings are in fact three-dimensional objects. There are multiple ways to view a work hung on a wall. Next time, take a glance on the sides or bottom and imagine the work's position in space during its creation.

Frames? Who needs them.