How to Display Art

Art! It brings an element of vibrancy into your home or office. Your choice of art often reflects your own personality, your tastes, your aspirations…little wonder then that not only the choice of art, but also its display requires a lot of care.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hanging wall art

1
Determine your art display layout. This applies when you plan on hanging multiple pieces of wall art together, as a group. The size, shape, type and number of objects in your display will determine how they should be arranged. Here are some suggestions:
- Lay art pieces on the floor in order to get a visual of how they relate to each other in size, form, subject, theme and color. Depending on the desired effect, you may want to keep similar colors grouped together, or you may want to scatter colors in a random pattern. Pay special attention to how different sized pieces relate to each other; Large, predominant pieces should be balanced with smaller, minor pieces. Additionally, it makes sense to group pieces according to subject and theme.
- Rearrange the objects as necessary, until you feel that they are pleasing to the eye and that they make sense logically, according to their characteristics.
- Make sure there are equal amounts of space between each piece. For displaying art on the wall, a good rule of thumb is to space art pieces 3 inches (7.62 cm) to 4 inches (10.16 cm) apart.
Whether your art display is a single piece, multiple pieces, a focal point or an accentuation of the room's other features, it is important that you hang it in a way that stays in line with the room's size and layout. For example, a very high and narrow wall in a bathroom may be a good place to hang a vertical arrangement of three framed pictures, but not a good place to hang an over-sized, panoramic painting.
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3
Display wall art at the appropriate level.
- Hang art at eye level. If you are displaying art in a group, then the center-point of the group should be at eye level. To determine a relative eye level, measure between 60 inches (152.4 cm) and 66 inches (167.64 cm) up from the floor.
- To display artwork at eye level in a sitting area, as in a dining room, hang the pieces at the eye level of the sitter.
- If you are using artwork to frame an architectural element or a piece of furniture, you should hang wall art within 10 inches (25.4 cm) of the object.
Use soft lighting sources, such as specially-designed wall art lighting fixtures, in order to diffuse spot lighting and reduce glare. Wall art lighting fixtures come in a variety of forms, such as recessed overhead lighting, track lighting and stick lighting that mounts directly to a picture frame.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Avoiding damage to wall art

1
Do not put the artwork near severe temperature fluctuations.
- Place paintings on a wall that is a dividing wall within your home rather than on the perimeter. The simple reason is that the perimeter walls are more subject to temperature fluctuations and also the possibility of water seepage. These could result in fading of pigments, cracks forming in the canvas and increased yellowing of the varnish. If you would still need to display the painting on the perimeter wall then it would be prudent to place rubber or plastic behind the frame so that the work is not in direct contact with the wall.
- Displaying a painting above a fireplace will expose it to extremes in temperature and soot and is a strict no, no. The same applies to having the painting above heating and air conditioning vents. Avoid areas of high humidity like the bathroom. The kitchen is another room which should not host artworks, the steam and fumes of cooking are bound to ruin the colours over time.
Normally smaller paintings need to be displayed with a mount. If you have a large wall, a museum style framing would help cover a larger area. A dark frame is normally advised for smaller works which help to bring the artwork into focus. For larger canvas works, keeping them on the stretcher would suffice, but they need to be checked regularly for signs of moisture or dust.
It's a known fact that direct lighting can harm the paintings and cause the colours to fade. While the commonly used 'picture' lamps are popular, they cast a harsh glare which heats the painting unevenly. While using halogen lamps be aware that these emit a high level of ultraviolet light which damages artworks and hence should be installed with a UV filter. If the option is available, use tungsten lamps instead.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Freestanding Art

Display artwork in an area that is proportional size-wise to the art piece, and that is relevant to the art's purpose. For example, if you want a large statue to be the focal point of a room, then you should place it in an area that is visible from the room's entry points and be careful not to overcrowd the piece with the room's architecture.
Randomize the arrangement height and width-wise, so as to create visual interest. Assemble objects in a way that makes sense logically, such as grouping 3 Indian artifacts or arranging a row of ceramic pottery.
There are many places you may choose to display freestanding art, including pedestals, tabletops, shelves, fireplace mantels, the floor, display boxes, easels and cabinets.
Overhead spot lighting, unidirectional track lighting and ambient lighting are good choices for highlighting art pieces in a space.
5
Place a sculpture so that it can be viewed from all four sides, so the placement should be such that gives an unrestricted view of the work.
- For large sculptures place them in the centre of a room allowing observers to move around it. If the sculpture is made of material that is weather resistant like bronze then you could consider placing it in the garden.
- Smaller works should be displayed at eye level and hence a pedestal is advisable.
- When deciding lighting for the sculpture, play around with the lights and see which effect suits you best. The play of light and shadows over a sculpture greatly enhances the way it appears. Experiment with direct overhead light or a side light source for a dramatic effect.
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Community Q&A

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How can I put a name alongside a painting on the wall?
Community Answer
You could either pay to have a metal plaque created and hung nearby with the artist's name inscribed on it, or you could carve a wooden one yourself and nail it on. It all really depends on supplies that you are willing to buy or people you would be willing to pay.
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Tips

Where there is high humidity seal the paintings glass.
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Never laminate any artworks or photographs.
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Hang artworks securely and at eye level.
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