Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Hanging a Show

My last art project required for graduation is a senior thesis art show.  There are five graduates this year, so we have divided the gallery and each taken a section for our work.  The art needs to consist of a body of work that represents what we've each developed artistically.  I have been cranking out paintings of cacti all semester for my show.  Yesterday, my husband helped me get the pieces hung in the gallery- opening night is Friday.  

Instead of framing the paintings, I decided to hang them directly on the wall.  This worked out pretty well, I think, as I painted each piece right to the deckled edges and those edges add to the overall look.  I puzzled over how to hang them without attaching anything to their back sides or putting holes into the paper and finally came up with the idea for rare earth magnets.  Putting a galvanized washer onto the wall with a sheet rock screw where the corners of each painting would hang gave the magnets something to stick to.  Those little magnets are strong!  One in each corner, with an "L" shaped nail at the bottom center of each wide piece, attached the paintings to the wall securely. Even through 300 lb. paper, those magnets are holding the paintings tight.    

My husband, being a carpenter, handled the math of spacing and getting the washers on the walls square and straight.  I am hopeless at that part!  

My section of the gallery.  I like how the cacti theme is working together and am pretty excited about the show.  

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