What is a Hinge?

Have you ever looked at a piece of artwork and wondered how it was 'floating' into place?  How does the frame safely attach a drawing or photograph without permanently adhering the artwork down?  In conservation framing, everything should be completely reversible and pH neutral, eliminating a lot of common adhesives from the framer's options. Luckily, there is a wonderful naturally made glue and traditional technique that meets all the requirements: wheat starch and rice paper hinges. 

So what is a hinge? And why not just glue the artwork directly down to the backing? Time, heat, and humidity. Our environment is constantly changing, both in temperature and moisture content. These fluctuations occur not only in the air but in the objects and materials around us - including our artwork! Because of this, the attachment method needs to be able to move with the artwork. 

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Safely Wrapping Your Artwork

A frame is always the safest way to store your artwork. But how do you take care of your collection when it's not framed? Here is a simple step by step way to safely wrap your artwork when traveling to and from the gallery, your home, and to the framers. 

We'll be using materials that are easy to come by and perfect for quick transportation. However, please note that we'd suggest using only pH neutral materials when storing artwork longer that a month.  We would also not suggest this method for artwork being shipped via mail carrier service.

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Designing a frame for Edward Steichen's 'The Victor'

Going to work at DDG Frameshop feels like to getting to go behind the scenes at a world class museum everyday. The day Edward Steichen's The Victor came in was no exception.  While our aesthetics at DGG often highlights the artwork by the frame's simplicity, sometimes a piece requires extra embellishment. Through an engagement with art history and a focus on the forms and tones within a piece, DDG Frameshop strives to design frames that uniquely compliment the artwork. 

We have quite a library of books collected over the years, which together layout a timeline of framing's history. These references become great resources for us when heading to the drawing board.  When designing a frame, its often a fine line navigating between historical accuracy and re-contextualizing the piece within today's contemporary styles and interiors.

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