Tanner Frames’ new location at 18 East 800 South in Salt Lake City.

Whether you’re an artist, collector, or gallery owner, how to best present works of art is a concern. Colored mats or white? Simple frames or ornate? Gallery wrap or framed? And what about those large works on paper that you see tacked to the walls in museums? And if it’s sculpture, an art book, or something else that can’t be tacked to a wall, how to best display and preserve it?

Sheesh…so many questions…I could write a series. That’s exactly what I propose to do. For this first in the series I visited Travis Tanner, partly because he just moved Tanner Frames to a new location with more production space, and partly because he demonstrates his expertise at framing unusual assemblages with his own three-dimensional collages.

The new location at 18 East 800 South is open for business, though it doesn’t yet have a big sign outside — think “across from Sears and next to Mini’s Cupcakes” and it will be easy to spot. His storefront space, which features a gallery and moulding showrom, is a lot more visible than the former location in the Artspace complex on 500 West. And he has more production space for approximately the same price. “We’re happy we won’t have to raise prices to cover additional costs,” says Tanner.

If you take your art to a framer like Tanner, you not only can pick a frame molding but you can pick his brain as well. Tanner attends the annual West Coast Art and Frame show where all the framing companies display what’s new as well as what’s being phased out. In a sense, the framing industry dictates what Tanner can offer. At the same time, the industry is influenced by interior design trends, both in terms of color and style. For example, currently the rustic, weathered wood look is in, as well as contemporary, streamlined profiles.

Of course, explains Tanner, there will always be the old standbys, like simple black frames. And there will always be a selection of “traditional” and “historic style” frames. But even the traditional changes with time. “When the University has a portrait painted of their new president, they usually like to match the frames of the past presidents’ portraits,” says Tanner. But it may be impossible to find an exact match because the traditional frames have changed.

Part of picking Tanner’s brain is learning what style of frame is appropriate for the period or style of the painting. “It’s important to me to understand how framing and art history go together,” he says. “You want to be period-correct.” Even when a contemporary artist references historic periods, either in style or subject, they may want to consider a historic period frame. A landscape painting in the Hudson River School style, for example, would look best in a Hudson River School frame.

Collectors, too, might consider framing their collections similarly, when appropriate, so that the collection looks cohesive instead of hodge-podge. The same is true of artists. Using similar frames for all your work can be a form of branding, Tanner notes. Someone sees a painting across a crowded gallery and instantly recognizes the artist by the way it is presented. And if artists paint in similar formats, it’s also a way to economize, Tanner says. For example, if a buyer likes your painting but not the frame, no problem. You can give a discount on the unframed painting and use the frame for another similarly sized work. In addition, if Tanner can estimate that a customer will use a lot of the same molding over a period of time, he can buy in volume, get a discount from his supplier, and pass the savings on to the artist.

Because of the way Tanner frames his own 3-D collages, he tends to get unusual projects. “I enjoy a challenge. I enjoy the creative aspect of every project.” Creativity in framing also requires an understanding of how and where the art will be displayed and whether or not it will be shipped. If shipping may be required, Tanner will take extra care that it can withstand the inherent stresses. If the piece requires glass, for example, he may recommend using acrylic, or the more expensive museum-quality acrylic, if the budget allows.

Most artists recognize the importance of framing, but few can afford to ignore the costs, and are often looking for ways to minimize them. “It’s tricky,” Tanner says. “There’s a fine line between something that is inexpensive and something that is cheap looking.” Though everyone must look at the bottom line and not put more money into framing than they can recoup when they sell the work, Tanner says it pays to present your work well. In addition to frames, Tanner also builds supports for artists – stretched canvas, cradled panels, canvas-covered panels, etc. Gallery-wrapped supports allow the artist to finish the sides of the painting with a solid color or by wrapping the image around the sides. It may save some money on framing, but, cautions Tanner, it should be finished in a way that’s professional looking. “Sometimes it’s easier to sell a mediocre painting with a good presentation than a great painting with a bad presentation.”

Travis Tanner, in what will be the gallery space of the new Tanner Frames

Images by Shalee Cooper

Sue Martin

Sue Martin holds an M.A. in Theatre and has worked in public relations. As an artist, she works in watercolor, oil, and acrylic to capture Utah landscapes or the beauty of everyday objects in still life.