CITY ESCAPES
Nature Photography, LLC
Newsletter
July, 2010
Should I Choose Regular Canvas or a Gallery Wrap?
Last month we discussed the reasons why you might want to consider having your new photo printed on canvas, instead of on traditional photographic paper. It doesn’t take too much poking around our site to discover, however, that we offer two different versions of canvas: traditional and gallery wrap. This month, we look at the differences between the two so that you will have a better idea of which would fit your style.
There are two main differences between traditional and gallery wrap canvases. The first has to do with how much of the actual canvas is covered by the image. While both types of canvas have full coverage on the front of the image, gallery wraps also usually have printing on all four sides of the canvas, while traditional canvases are left unprinted on the sides. Though there are many choices, the sides of gallery wraps are usually either solid black, solid white, or an extension of the actual image, in which the image itself is wrapped around the sides of the canvas. In all cases, gallery wraps are fastened to the stretcher bars underneath only on the back of the bars, effectively hiding all staples, etc. from view. Hanging hardware is also attached directly to the back of the stretcher bars. This allows gallery wraps to be hung as they are, without the need for an external frame -- which brings us to the second main difference between traditional canvases and gallery wraps: whether or not an external frame is necessary. Because traditional canvases are attached to the stretcher bars not only on the back, but also on the sides, proper display of these canvases requires an external frame to hide the fastening hardware. The hanging hardware would also need to be attached to the external frame.
So, which style is preferable? That is by and large a matter of personal choice. Frames do add a degree of structural support and protection for the canvas, especially on the larger sizes, but they certainly are not required for successful display. As long as they are treated with care, gallery wraps should have no structural issues. Frames provide the opportunity to tie the canvas in visually to many different decors, from rustic to homey to sophisticated, and everything in between. They can and should highlight the art contained within, and when done properly, complement the image by defining and delineating its space, accenting its color scheme, and generally giving the image a “finished” feeling. Framed images also seem “normal” to our eyes – we are accustomed to seeing prints in frames.
Gallery wraps tend to work best in decors that lean toward the modern. They are clean and minimalist, having no defining border around the front of the image. Their simplicity is their genius; there is nothing but the image to draw the viewer’s eye. Of course, this lack of a defining border leaves the viewer open to distraction from whatever may be in close proximity to the gallery wrap. For this reason, gallery wraps are especially effective in areas where the wrap has a bit of empty space around it, allowing the wall itself to lend significance to the image.
A final note: when considering a gallery wrap, it should be remembered that they, like all of our canvas prints, have a bit of thickness to them, and are not flat like a paper print. Though the finished piece will not have the depth of a traditionally framed canvas, all of our canvas prints are stretched on wooden stretcher frames. Gallery wraps, therefore, are still about an inch thick, and this should be taken into consideration when planning their proper placement.
Happy Independence Day!
Barbecues, fireworks, camping trips, water slides, watermelon – it must be the Fourth of July! On this Independence Day, we would like to take a moment to be grateful for all of the fabulous things that America has to offer, not least of which are the amazing national parks spread throughout the country that are home to so many wonderful creatures and so much breathtaking natural beauty. We are proud that our nation began the concept of “national park”, and that this wonderful concept has since spread throughout the world. In light of this great idea, and in celebration of our freedom to do so, we encourage both citizens and visitors alike to go out and explore one or two – or a dozen! – national and state parks this summer. You’re sure to see something beautiful!
July’s Fun Facts
In honor of Independence Day, we focus our fun facts this month on, of course, bald eagles.
· Adopted in 1782 as the national symbol of the United States of America, the bald eagle was not the first choice: the golden eagle was. However, the golden eagle was also found throughout Europe. The fledgling United States, wanting to emphasize its separation and independence from the Continent, switched its choice to the bald eagle due to the raptor’s geographical specificity.
· Benjamin Franklin opposed the election of the bald eagle to this exalted post, believing the bird lazy, cowardly, and a thief (among other things, bald eagles are notorious for stealing the fish caught by osprey), and therefore not worthy of representing this new country built on the ideals of bravery and honesty. Franklin’s preference was for the turkey.
· The largest bald eagle nest on record measured nine feet wide by twenty feet high, and topped the scales at more than 4,000 pounds.
If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com
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CITY ESCAPES Nature Photography, LLC
www.cityescapesphotography.com
509-396-5154
