MetaChat - Can I be a pain in the ass one more time?

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13 February 2008

Can I be a pain in the ass one more time? →[More:]I hate the prints over my couch. I shouldn't have bought them. I'm going to put them on Craigslist. The place looks lifeless and I need some more color! I'm purchasing some oil paintings. I'm having them commissioned, don't I feel special. They're not that expensive at all, though. Anyway! What looks more pleasing? Two rectangles, two squares, or two rectangles, one horizontal and the other vertical? Thanks guys. I promise not to ask a boring question for at least another week or two!

post by: LoriFLA at: 13:06 | 24 comments

Two squares.

posted by essexjan 13 February | 13:12

In the second photo (the asymmetrical one), everything in the room is perfectly balanced and symmetrical except for the art - it's very jarring. It would drive Monk crazy.

In the last photo (rectangles) the art exactly mimics the shape of the ottomans, which to me is awkward. I like the squares best. Unless looks are deceiving and the squares mimic the ottomans, in which case I like the rectangles best. Whichever ones don't match the ottomans! That's what I like!

posted by iconomy 13 February | 13:14

I'm with iconomy on this.

posted by pokermonk 13 February | 13:22

Squares it is! Thanks guys!!

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 13:30

Yeah two squares, but I'd go with two good square format black and white photos instead. With a nice white border and a dark wood frame.

But that's just me.

posted by matteo 13 February | 13:38

Hi matteo, someone else suggested the black and white photos. I love black and white photos, but I'm afraid it will look even colder. I could be wrong. I'm no designer.

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 13:42

Hey, LoriFLA, this isn't helpful, but:

Did you ever get around to producing any homemade non-representational art? I've been wondering how it went. I've been toying with the idea myself, and I'd love to know what your experience was.

posted by Elsa 13 February | 14:14

Hi Elsa. I have! My sister and I (and kids) have been painting a lot with acrylics. Painting and playing dominoes. I suck at both. It is fun and we enjoy it. I took about five or so classes with a girlfriend at my town's local art league. It's very casual, you can come and go and it's held weekly, year round. I need to get back. The people there are so talented and helpful. The still lifes I created at the class are probably the best ones I've done so far because I had a lot of guidance. I tried to recreate a Rothko once at home on a very small piece of watercolor paper. Ha! I am so naive. Speaking of, I saw a great Rothko documentary on TV not too long ago. It was amazing.

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 14:27

Good to hear you've taken a whack at it!

My art history program requires us to take the studio art fundamentals, so I'm back where I as a teenager (when I had delusions of going to art school): I have a modest supply of paints and a modest supply of skill, which I use to noodle around creating stuff. It's not bad.

However...

Whenever a class requires me to produce something non-representational, I find that my brain keeps making quasi-representational figures --- things that I think are abstracted forms, but that turn out to be smooshed-up trees or twirling spoons or Suessian bats flying through the night. I just can't turn it off.

posted by Elsa 13 February | 14:34

Yeah, I can't turn it off either. I don't know what it means to do something from my own brain. I'm always stealing another person's idea. :)

I painted a piece of pottery recently and had it fired. It was butt ugly and I marked it for sale at a yard sale I had a couple of weekends ago. Two women in were marveling how "beautiful" it was. One of them bought it. I was very flattered, but it looked like olives stuffed with pimento were painted all over it and that wasn't the intention. It reminds me of the quilt I've been appliqueing. I am so proud of it and I've been enjoying the hand sewing. My sister commented that the leaves look like a fox head. Then my mother agreed! Then I agreed! The leaves do look like a fox head!

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 14:44

Ok, over here it's pretty trendy to get these canvas prints (no frames, just 4cm deep canvas stretched art thingies) that when hung together show "one" artwork. If you get my terrible explanation. They're computer painted (or printed, whatever) canvases that are stretched onto frames and that whole frame-less look is dead nice.
Canvas opinion has the type of "stretched printed art on canvas" thing I'm on about, but no "three paintings make one picture". I suppose you could hang Jade, Celia and Kate next to each other or any other combo you might find there that go together.

In other words, I'm thinking three square smaller ones would look neat.

posted by dabitch 13 February | 14:52

Or youknow, do this:
≡ Click to see image ≡≡ Click to see image ≡
from canvasopinion here

posted by dabitch 13 February | 14:54

if you're afraid it'll be cold, don't get bw square prints of landscapes, get portraits. or dogs.

let me explain: rather Corbjin than Keith Carter or Matt Mahurin.

posted by matteo 13 February | 14:56

OMG! I love Celia, Jade, and Kate! I agree, dabitch. I like the ready to hang art canvases that are stretched, painted on the sides, no staples, etc. I'm buying frameless canvases. Custom framing will send me right over the budget edge. Thanks for linking CanvasOpinion! I love it.

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 14:57

matteo, those are beautiful! Y'all have me rethinking things. I'm glad I haven't made a deposit yet!

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 14:58

Oh man, there's WAY too much cool stuff at that CanvasOpinion site. And me without any bare wall space... well, that's probably best for my wallet.

posted by BoringPostcards 13 February | 15:02

decorating is fun! :)

posted by dabitch 13 February | 16:32

wow, Matteo, you design guru!

posted by Wilder 13 February | 16:32

What about dogs playing poker? That's warm. And classy.

posted by iconomy 13 February | 16:35

ha, iconomy! My husband would probably love that.

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 16:38

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by dabitch 13 February | 16:44

Aw...Beribboned Puppies Playing Blackjack!

posted by iconomy 13 February | 16:53

Late to the party, but I vote for horizontal-vertical.
It just looks nicer.
Plus asymmetry is good.

posted by seanyboy 13 February | 17:35

I vote two squares. Also - great idea - drawing the pictures in and loading the photos onto Flickr. You're smart. :)

posted by youngergirl44 13 February | 19:42

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