Katherine Bernhardt's bright, graphic style sits perfectly in this custom handpainted frame! We obtained one of her recent Puerto Rico inspired pieces from the Roberto Paradise gallery in San Juan and set to work designing just the right presentation. We designed a white maple hardwood frame with contrasting blue splines and pinstripe detail and produced it in conjunction with our partners at Cedar Owl Frames. The art was floated on an archival mat board using Japanese paper hinges and fully reversible, archival rice paste. Finally, it was set back from the glazing with spacers and protected behind UV protective, non-glare Museum Glass.
Erick shows off the Katherine Bernhardt painting in its new frame
Katherine Bernhardt is a Missouri native, currently based in Brooklyn, who received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Her early works were figurative, inspired by fashion and celebrity photos from magazines. A trip to Morocco in 2008 introduced her to the rich traditions of African weaving and she began creating more abstracted works based on patterns. This piece, featuring pizza slices, watermelon and smileys is part of her recent body of work based on simple vernacular objects and forms. Many of the pieces in this group include flora and fauna of Puerto Rico. These compositions morph her figurative and abstract patterned styles. The artist describes her vision, “They’re just good colors and shapes. Look at a sock: it’s got really good colors, white with red and blue stripes. Toilet paper is a squarish oval,"....“A cigarette is a line. A dorsal fin is a triangle, and so is a Dorito.” *
Details of the contrasting corner splines and pinstripe
Bernhardt is among the many outstanding contemporary artists whose work we have the pleasure of custom framing. Although some artworks are served best by clean, white or natural hardwood gallery style frames, some pieces cry out for a uniquely tailored look all their own. The contrasting splines on this frame are actually a structural feature highlighted to become a design feature. If you're thinking outside the box for your next framing project, stop by and visit us and see what we can create together!
Katherine Bernhardt in her Brooklyn studio image courtesy of Emily Johnston for "Artsy"
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