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Articles by Chris A. Paschke, CPF GCF CMG
"Framing Tiles: Fine Art
or Decorative Tile?"
April 2002
What
to do with tiles is a question that arises from time to time. We walk on them, shower with them, and
collect them. We use them as functional
backsplashes (Teapots, photo 1), as
heat resistant trivets (Renaissance Herbs, photo
2), as accents for home decor (Asian Seasons, photo 3), as collectible keepsakes from travels abroad (Chinese
Phoenix, photo 4), and as treasured
antiques (Boston Museum, photo 5). They are waterproof, heat resistant, fade
resistant, tolerant of much abuse and all around relatively durable. They are, after all, ceramics that have been
designed to be used and not just admired.
FIRST IDENTIFY
But
what do we do with them? Are they
decorative or collectable? Glue them
down or preservationally mount them?
Glaze them or not? Safe for
outdoors or indoors only? Decorative
tiles are to countertops what border designs are to wallpaper, in relation to
home interiors. They are found as accent
pieces to enhance a potentially plain counter or backsplash in both kitchens
and bathrooms (photo 1). If designed for use outdoors, they are both
functional and decorative as numbers and/or letters to identify the homeowners
surname or street address, tolerant to the elements.
Since
tiles are durable it appears the design solutions must surround the use and the
protection of them. They may tolerate
heat and sunlight, but if the framing is to enhance and ensure their long term
protection, then additional care should be introduced. I have stated before that even though an
original watercolor will tolerate the heat of dry mounting, that does not make
it the thing to do. Same here. A tile may tolerate silicone adhesive, the
acids from wood, and direct sunlight, but we as framers must help protect them
from cracking, chipping, and damage from bad framing practices.
RENAISSANCE TRIVETS
Tiles that are kiln fired are
heat tolerant ceramics, and are often sold as trivets, as in the case of the
Renaissance kitchen herbs pair (photo 2). This pair of 8x8" brown accented ceramic
tiles were purchased thirty years ago at a Renaissance Faire in
California. A street vendor at the faire
sold them unframed as trivets. I decided
against using them as the trivets for which they were originally intended and
framed them in an aged, barn wood style solid oak moulding, circa 1980s from
Victor Moulding. The oak moulding is
reminiscent of the worn looking half-timbered styling of houses during the
middle ages and well suited the period of the tiles. They have hung in my dining room ever
since.
Since wood mouldings will
expand and contract with heat and humidity I needed to leave the standard
framing allowance so not to break the tiles if the moulding shrunk. This allowance would in turn allow the tile
to clink around in the frame which might contribute to possible chipping later
on. Because the tiles are ceramic I
elected to line the inside rabbet of the moulding with a felt strip to act as a
cushion between the tiles and the hardwood oak moulding during fitting (diagram 1). The felt liner helps support the tile without
the possibility of damage.
DECORATIVE ASIAN TILES
The
set of 6x6" Asian tiles (photo 3) were
designed for use as accent in a backsplash or bathroom grouted tile
installation, but as illustrated here can also be framed to be hung vertically
as home decoration. The four seasons are
actually meant to be displayed hung top to bottom spring, summer, autumn,
winter rather than the way they are photographed for this article.
The
selected moulding is Larson-Juhl Soho black with
silver #345084. Though it may appear a
little heavy or bulky for these small tiles, this selection actually accents
and showcases the tiles so much better than any bamboo or Asian moulding I
tested during the design process.
This
is a rather deep moulding which holds the tiles off the wall over an inch,
which also enhanced their clean, modern look.
The contemporary nature of this moulding worked well with the patchwork
mulberry paper strips in the background of the tiles, while the soft matte
black finish accents and visually brings the eye into the Chinese
characters. The soft silver bevel of the
moulding works as a liner to both separate and showcase the inner tiles. As with the Renaissance tiles, the inner
rabbets of this moulding have also been lined to cushion the tiles before
fitting.
PHOENIX COLLECTABLE
What
I love most about framing tiles is how unpredictable the mouldings have turned
out to be. Both with the above Asian
tiles and with this Chinese Phoenix I anticipated the selected moulding to have
an Asian flavor to it. In the above
project the tiles, though Asian in subject matter, are extremely
contemporary. The same thing occurred
with the phoenix. Though I thought I
would frame it with one of the marvelous bamboo or Asian influences mouldings
out there, they did nothing for the tile.
The bright colors of the phoenix really called out for a moulding that
could stand up to it, and the softer bamboos were both too narrow and the
colors were too subdued. They were too
natural, too bamboo colored.
I
ended up selecting the wide Larson-Juhl moulding #635 AB with its European look
and beautiful rust colored inner wood strip
(photo 4). Not only does the rust
strip match the color of the head feathers of the phoenix, but the carving of
the moulding seemed to reflect that of the feathers of the bird. Even the antiqued gold of the carved moulding
seemed to emulate the linear pattern of the feathers in the wings and tail of
the bird.
DESIGN PERIOD AND STYLE
I
have discovered that when an image is painted, cast, or created in our
contemporary time with our contemporary techniques it often has a contemporary
flavor. Yes, the Asian tiles are Chinese
characters, but they have been painted very stylized using abstracted paper
backgrounds, the traditional bamboo look fought with them while the
contemporary moulding worked better.
The
phoenix, was produced using traditional firing and painting techniques from the
Tang Dynasty, the image is very contemporary and bamboo mouldings were too
drab. Perhaps this can be explained as a
contemporary rebirth of the Chinoiserie (sheen woz'
uh ree') styling of the 18th century
Europe. That is when popular Asian
designs of Japanese and Indonesian origin were mixed with other highly
ornamented popular decorating style trends of 18th century Europe
including Gothic, Neoclassic and Rococo periods. The phoenix tile seems to support the look of
Chinoiserie, a tile with basic Asian flair that rests well in a highly
decorated almost Rococo moulding.
As
a frame designer and PPFA Accredited Judge I lecture about the period and style
of the framing being something that should fit with the image. By that I have meant an early American image
should be framed in an early American moulding style. A Renaissance or Baroque painting belongs in
a moulding emulating that time period.
Maybe that is true when dealing with traditional paintings and artwork
created in the traditional style using traditional techniques.
I am beginning to see more
often that periods and styles can be overlapping and at times
interchangeable. The hard edges solid
rules of design are softening. Maybe its the current eclectic nature of home interior design
trends today. Or these Asian tiles are
simply a perfect example of 21st century Chinoiserie.
ANTIQUE COLLECTABLE TILE
The
featured tile project is an antique image of the original Museum
of Fine Arts Boston founded in 1870, which moved to Copley Square in 1876, then
doubled in size in 1890. It finally
relocated to the current Huntington Avenue location in 1909. My client has emotional attachment to this
tile, having worked with the Museum in a consulting capacity nearly twenty
years ago. Originally framed in 1996,
it currently hangs in the corporate California offices of Gift Planning
Solutions, and is shared with us courtesy of them.
This
antique black and white ceramic tile is 3/8" thick, measuring square
5-15/16"x 5-15/16" and showing the original Museum of Fine Arts
Boston building from 1876 (photo 5). The tile has naturally aged to an off white,
and has slight fissures and chips around the edges as well as tiny hairline
fractures beginning to run across it.
Though still in one piece, it has an antique delicacy that needs
protection from continued edge damage (photo
6). The tactile smooth texture of
the architectural ceramic image and coolness of the tile when touched enhanced
its overall beauty as an antique collectible.
They wished the tile be protected in a frame, but did not want it to be
glassed.
THE TILE SOLUTION
Matching
the natural aging of the whites and respecting the ash grey appearance of the
black glazes was very important for color unity. Also the visual texture of the surrounding
mats, fillets and liners, needed to reflect the same texture from within the
tile. Overall frame dimensions
calculated 10-1/4"x 10-1/2" using a Larson-Juhl black Treviso moulding
#404 N, 1-3/8" wide with 1-3/4" rabbet depth. The moulding was chosen for its vertical
linear lines, washed dusty black color, and depth. A narrow, antiqued gold fillet, Victor
Moulding #11064, was selected to match the frame for the inner liner (diagram 2).
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bleached Mexican bark paper
was chosen for its marvelous mottled, marbled appearance to be wrapped around
two 4-ply black Strathmore museum boards #134-614 dry mounted together for the
top mat and fillet accent (photo 7). A 3/16" black foam board was used for
the bottom window opening mat, straight cut just large enough to snugly fit and
hold the tile in place. The bark paper
was mounted to the face of the 8-ply blunt cut window opening with pure film
adhesive in a 210M-X mechanical press at 190F for 2 minutes and cooled under a
weight.
The mounted paper mat was
then cut to expose the open window leaving a 1" trim with mitered 45
degree corners. The bevel was ironed to
bond the paper/adhesive to the square edged board and the resulting tabs were
turned to the back and pressed with a heated tacking iron (photo 8). The top mat was
wrapped in the same way then the fillet was chopped, glued and fitted into the
window. Bulldog clips were used to hold
the fillet tight against the mat while it dried (photo 9).
The tile is fitted into the
modified sink mat unit. Strips of scrap
8-ply boards about 1/2" wide were measured, mitered and glued to the
bottom mat after the tile was inserted.
These were placed flush against the upper edge of the tile for support
and color accent. A 1/8" black
spacer is reverse bevel cut and positioned under the top filleted window accent
mat and the project is ready for the final addition of the top wrapped
mat/fillet window piece for completion.
Conservation
framed?
Most
materials selected for this project were acid free in nature or inert as in the
dry mount film adhesive. The Mexican
bark paper is wood based and is in direct contact with the tile edges. The tile itself had been held in storage for
nearly eighty years in non-conservation tissue paper and an acidic cardboard
gift box. Tiles appear to be somewhat
tolerant of acids since they originate from natural materials and elements from
the earth. Perhaps it is their ceramic
nature and the fact they have fired glazes that protect and waterproof them.
This
antique tile has been adequately preserved as a touchable antique as the client
requested, but is the customer always right?
As framing professionals we know the value of teaching conservation
framing, there are items we frame that will remain somewhat chemically
inert. In many cases, tiles need to be
protected more from chipping, cracking and damage from mishandling more than
from acids and out-gassing.
In
this case the Boston Museum of Fine Arts remains the focal point of the frame
design, has been protected from further damage by protecting its edges and
relieving any stresses, and is still able to be visually enjoyed. It remains, however, continually exposed to
light, humidity and everyday pollutants without special precautions to protect
it. I recently saw this piece which was
framed in 1996, and it looks as fantastic and well preserved as it did when my
client first picked it up.
WHAT'S IN A DESIGN
If
tiles are designed to be grouted into shower walls or washed daily as a
backsplash in a kitchen exposed to grease and detergents, surely they can
tolerate the riggers of fine picture framing
practices. Perhaps we should always
consider the nature of the beast though.
Tiles of numbers for the front porch might be siliconed into place, but
an antique tile at least deserves the framing dignity of any 100 year old piece
of fine art, and we must always design for the art. There will forever be a difference between
decorative art and fine art, whether it be an open edition reproduction, a
limited edition or tile.
END
PHOTO 1 KITCHEN
TILES
Tiles are used as accents in
bathrooms and splash guards in kitchens as seen in these 6x6" standard
sized unframed kitchen tiles,
produced from images of
artwork published by Wild Apple Graphics of Chris A. Paschke.
PHOTO 2 RENAISSANCE
TILES TRIVET, CLOSE-UP
These are a pair of 8x8"
brown accented ceramic tiles purchased thirty years ago at the annual
Renaissance Faire in Novato, CA.
They feature herbs from the
middle ages and their healing powers. A
street vendor sold them unframed as trivets.
They were framed in an old
antiqued looking sold oak moulding from Victor Moulding during the 1980s.
PHOTO 3 ASIAN
TILES, "WINTER" CLOSE-UP
This set of 6x6"
decorative Asian tiles were framed with Larson-Juhl Soho
moulding #345084 to be hung as home decoration.
They are correctly displayed hung top to bottom as spring,
summer, autumn, winter rather than the way they are photographed here.
Courtesy of Wild Apple
Licensing and Chris A. Paschke
PHOTO 4 PHOENIX
This tile was designed by
Chinese artisans and brought back as a travel collectable from a trip to
mainland China.
It is framed for the wall
with Larson-Juhl 635 AB moulding that best accented its colors and visual
lines.
Image courtesy of Thaer A. P.
Irvin.
PHOTO 5 ANTIQUE
COLLECTABLE TILE
An antique tile of the
original Museum of Fine Arts Boston building.
Shown courtesy of Gift
Planning Solutions, Copperopolis, California.
PHOTO 6 CORNER
DETAIL
Reverse bevel cut 1/2"
strips of 8-ply board were measured, mitered and glued to the bottom support
and flush against the tile as
additional support.
PHOTO 7 MATERIALS
A Victor Moulding fillet
11064, Larson-Juhl 404N moulding, bleached Mexican bark paper,
3/16" acid free foam
board, and 4-ply black Strathmore museum boards were used in the project.
PHOTO 8 WRAPPING
MUSEUM BOARD
Mount the bark paper to the
face of the created 8-ply blunt cut window opening, remove center,
miter corners and wrap to the
back of the opening with a tacking iron.
PHOTO 9 GLUING
FILLET
The fillet was chopped and fitted,
glued and held to dry with bulldog clips for the top mat accent.
There are more articles on framing design
listed under Articles by Subject.
Additional information on mounting
basics is found in
The
Mounting and Laminating Handbook, Second Edition, 2002,
and
The
Mounting And Laminating Handbook, Third Edition, 2008.
Creative
Mounting, Wrapping, And Laminating, 2000 will teach you
everything
you need to know about getting the
most from your dry mount equipment and
materials as an innovative frame
designer. All books are available from
Designs
Ink Publishing
through this website.
Chris A Paschke, CPF GCF
Designs Ink
Designs Ink Publishing
785 Tucker Road, Suite G-183
Tehachapi, CA 93561
661.821.2188