Blog

Fusing Classic and Contemporary with Christopher Pugliese

October 25, 2018

Christopher Pugliese artist custom frame

Artist Christopher Pugliese hand painted custom frame

Team member Stascia shows off the completed project in our LES studio.

Christopher Pugliese is a contemporary artist with a classical flare. We created the perfect frame design to highlight both vibes! This portrait was done in pencil and gouache and merges his exquisite mastery of rendering with a contemporary sensibility. We chose a clean maple, closed corner hardwood frame molding, then accented it with a beautiful blue handpainted pinstripe and corners to speak to the touch of color in the composition. The artwork was hinged to its archival cotton rag backing board using reversible mulberry paper hinges and our own hand cooked rice paste. Beyond the normal hinging process, we needed to create a window on the reverse side of the frame to highlight the artist's signature, personal message to the collector, and a super cool extra portrait sketch! The window was cut into the Coroplast backing and sealed with an acetate cover.

Closed corner frame custom framing hand painted blue

The handpainted blue details

We're always enthusiastic to work with art from well-known artists. Christopher Pugliese is the child of two modernists and grew up during the heyday of the 1980s SoHo art scene in downtown Manhattan. In typical rebellious fashion, he chose a different creative path from his parents. He studied at the New York Academy of Art under the accomplished draftsmen Ted Jacobs and Tony Ryder. Here he honed his attention to fine detail. Pugliese furthered his education at the Art Students League and at the National Academy of Design in New York City, and later studied privately in France.

Custom framing signature window
Images of the back of the frame showing the signature window

The contemporary art zeitgeist is currently re-embracing the quality of academically trained painters who are able to create works that feel of the moment. Pugliese is benefitting from this trend with numerous group and solo exhibitions in the US and abroad. Some highlights include his solo exhibition at The New Britain Museum of American Art and participation in the 2012 - 2013 exhibition, Contemporary American Realism, which toured throughout China.

Artist Christopher Pugliese

(image courtesy of Vincent Zambrano Films)

Whether classical or contemporary, our selection of elegant frames and knowledgeable staff offers countless options for all styles and genres of art. We'd love to see yours and design a unique custom frame to suit your individual art treasure.