How many of you have all of your OA on the wall?

[Reno McCoy]

Just reading through some of the threads here in the OA area and it got me wondering: How many of you have all of your OA pieces out for viewing? I know some of you have so much art you keep some pieces in the closet, but is that the norm or do most of us have only a few pieces and all of them are on the wall for your viewing pleasure?

[easyt63]

All of mine are on the wall except con sketches. I have to put my stuff on the wall.

 

[Bronty]

I have about 5% on the walls. I don't want it to get too cluttered.

[Pirate]

5 out of a lot on the wall. I don't have the room to hang many unfortunately.

[MONSTER]

I have around 15 pieces framed.

[Mac Man]

I'm limited on space, but then again, I also don't own very much. I've got my 3 large Spider-Man commissions framed and they will be going on the wall soon as with my Wolverine sketch. Silver Surfer and Cap head shot (both) by Ron Lim are hanging up in my workshop.

[Jesusjon]

All but sketches. And I don't plan to buy more than I can display comfortably. And if I reach that threshold, then something has to go for each new acquisition.

 

I can't stomach the idea of spending 000's on a piece of ART that goes undisplayed. If that happens it's just an investment.

[*paull*]

Two reasons I don't hang anything on my wall: concerns about UV (yes, I realize there is UV-resistant glass) and my walls are fragile plaster (old apartment building) and I don't trust that they will stay mounted.

[Reno McCoy]

All but sketches. And I don't plan to buy more than I can display comfortably. And if I reach that threshold, then something has to go for each new acquisition.

 

I can't stomach the idea of spending 000's on a piece of ART that goes undisplayed. If that happens it's just an investment.

 

I'm yet to really dive too far into buying OA, but this is what I'm hoping to do if I ever get more pages and art. Right now, the stuff I own are sketches/commissions or art from books I had some sort of tie too, even though I don't know if I want to spend the money on framing. Were I to dive into the hobby, I hope to only buy what I want to frame and sell if I found something better or ran out of room.

[Bronty]

you could always frame twice what you have and rotate them in and out.. that's an option.

 

I dunno. For me, there are pieces that I enjoy owning because of nostalgia, but are pretty bad from a pure art perspective, so why hang?

 

There are also pieces I enjoy owning because they are really nice images, but wouldn't mean anything to anybody, so why hang?

 

I just hang the pieces that are both nice artistically and from something fun to show off. Since my framed pieces are the ones that hit on both fronts, they are the last ones I would sell. But it doesn't mean it isn't fun to own the others, even if I don't, unfortunately, get to enjoy them in quite the same way.

 

And the pieces that hit on neither front, well they are the ones that shouldn't have been purchased in the first place.

[Reno McCoy]

There are also pieces I enjoy owning because they are really nice images, but wouldn't mean anything to anybody, so why hang?

 

 

It's interesting that this point is part of your post. I struggle with this sometimes with all of my collectibles. I buy something because I like it. There's some sort of value for me. Yet when it comes time to display it or go that extra mile and show it off or whatever, I balk at the idea.

 

For example, I have some "limited" edition prints that I totally dig. Do I frame them? No. Why? Because it's just a print. For some reason, only the best of the best warrant framing because it's collectible. But if I can't see it, why did I buy it? Is it better off hidden in a tube somewhere?

 

Actually, I feel kinda stupid now. How many things does a guy need hidden in his damn closet?

[comicartcom]

it would be impossible for most serious art collectors to have all of their art up unless they lived in a 6000 sqft+ home, and displayed their art in "Louvre" fashion.

 

I do my displays in Louvre fashion and I was never and will never be able to display all of my art or posters. Louvre fashion: literally using all of your wall space with pieces only separated by a few inches from floor to ceiling

 

when I had 1000+ pieces of art - how in teh world would I ever have been able to frame it?? If you have 20 pieces.. There isn't a reason not to have it all displayed - except for your wives, which is usually the main reason

 

Most art collectors in any field only have a small % displayed and the rest in racks or flat files or in boxes under the bed. If you're collecting, why should you stop because you can't put it up???

 

comic book collectors may be the worst of all when it comes to display. Very few colllectors have a display of comic books except maybe in 1 room and 99.9999% of their stuff is in boxes, stacked in the back room

 

collecting is a "fan" thing. Fan = fanatic. we are all fanatics of some sort

you know fanatics don't you??

religious fanatics

terrorist fanatics

collector fanatics..

 

we're all nuts!!!

[Bronty]

There are also pieces I enjoy owning because they are really nice images, but wouldn't mean anything to anybody, so why hang?

 

 

It's interesting that this point is part of your post. I struggle with this sometimes with all of my collectibles. I buy something because I like it. There's some sort of value for me. Yet when it comes time to display it or go that extra mile and show it off or whatever, I balk at the idea.

 

I know what you mean... the way I see it is the only space my wife will let me (Rich wasn't kidding!) hang in is one room. With the spacing I want and the other features of the room there's only really room for about ten pieces (I hate "louvre" style and instead think each piece "pops" more when there is less around it). So with only room for 10 pieces of art, I am extremely selective about what I frame. So I frame stuff I enjoy that visitors might enjoy too.... just on the premise that when people visit I want them to feel comfortable... maybe get a kick out of the art, as much as is possible for a non-collector... as opposed to feeling too "weirded" out because I'm hanging the cover to Strawberry Shortcake #1 or something.

[Bronty]

religious fanatics

terrorist fanatics

collector fanatics..

 

we're all nuts!!!

 

too true

[Bronty]

There are also pieces I enjoy owning because they are really nice images, but wouldn't mean anything to anybody, so why hang?

 

 

It's interesting that this point is part of your post. I struggle with this sometimes with all of my collectibles. I buy something because I like it. There's some sort of value for me. Yet when it comes time to display it or go that extra mile and show it off or whatever, I balk at the idea.

 

For example, I have some "limited" edition prints that I totally dig. Do I frame them? No. Why? Because it's just a print. For some reason, only the best of the best warrant framing because it's collectible. But if I can't see it, why did I buy it? Is it better off hidden in a tube somewhere?

 

well, pick your poison.... you can either feel stupid that the prints are in the closet and not being hung.... or feel stupid for spending 10x the cost of the print on the framing!

 

I won't touch prints for that reason but if you're not like me, just hang 'em and enjoy 'em! Visitors won't care if its a print or original, so as long as you're happy...

[Reno McCoy]

Bronty, you know, I don't frame much for that very reason: cost. The few pieces of art that I own weren't that expensive, but the frames certainly would be. At some point I'll break down and get a few more framed, but for now, I'd rather spend that money on comics, not frames. (I often find myself doing the same for all collectibles and supplies...why spend on supplies when I can get more of the collectibles I like so much.)

[invisibleghosts]

I have over 10 pieces framed spread through-out the house. I'm lucky to have a wife that likes and even loves some of my pieces. (thumbs u

 

 

And yes, we are all nuts! Would not change for the world.

[g-man]

i have a few framed pieces and a few giclees throughout the crib. Here are a few examples.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[innocuous]

I don't have enough room in the house (since I only get one room for my comics). I like the idea of swapping things out. I need new frames.

[Eric Seffinga]

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. It was a major step in my evolution as a collector of art, and was a major break from what I new see as my days as a hoarder, rather than a collector. These days I bristle at the idea of terms like collector even.

 

I have at my core, a love of art. Not a hobbiest. Not a fan. It is, quite frankly, in my bones. I make it, I live in it, I dream of it and I want to be surrounded by it. It's the same with music for me. It's why I play music, and why I am constantly listening to music. I could no more, limit art to one room of the house, than I could listen to music in only one room. It's not me.

 

I am always slightly bemused by people who's significant others relegate their life's interests to a single room. The whole "man cave" concept. I'm all for the idea of rooms that house a collection, or a theme or a purpose. But the idea that someone who is truly a comic fanboy at heart, but is only allowed one room of the house, and the rest must be decorated "normal" is a funny one to me. It happens to wine collectors, sports fanatics and guitarist's too by the way. I have friends that have home "studios" where all their music related stuff is kept, and the rest of the house belongs to the wife. Often it looks like a catalog, and contains little personality or "life" for lack of a better word.

 

Now, I've seen the exact opposite too. The bachelor-pad-gone-wrong, with posters, and statues and art. Just littered everywhere. Looking like the warehouse for a bunch of defunct comic shops. I couldn't live like that either. Yikes!

 

I suppose perhaps I am lucky, in that my wife and I are both artists, both read comics, and both have a similar interest in decorative tastes. We make compromises here and there on the details, but generally we love our art.

 

Our house is a bit like a mini-museum. At least insomuch as we have managed to put the art on the wall in "rooms" and groupings that make sense. We never crowd the art together. We frame everything befitting it's importance in our collections. Once you have only so much wall space available, you begin to look at work more critically, you take greater care in what you choose and you treat it's framing with that same care.

 

When you walk into our house you see art. Wherever you go in the house you will probably see art. You will not ever be overwhelmed by the amount of art though. And it doesn't look out of place. At least not to my eye. Some of it may be a little askew depending on your tastes, but that's part of owning what you like. It represents you. The real you. Not the face you put on for people, but your real interests. At lest mine does, and I'm certainly happy to talk about pieces with guests and visitors.

 

My experience seeing other framed collections has been that so many people cut all kinds of corners, OR try to over-frame pieces. Generally there's a happy middle ground, where the art ceases to be a kitschy kids-only thing, and can truly be appreciated as art, without being overly dressy. Most people are really interested to see what we have in various rooms, and to talk about it's creation. I don't feel ashamed that I like comics. I want people to know that comics is an artform, capable of things that films are not. That novels are not. That traditional art is not.

 

The most gratifying bit is that I feel comfortable and at home in my own home. It's not a furniture showroom, but it's not a collector's cluttered "homey" mess either. I see many of our pieces on a daily basis, and others when I want to walk into those rooms. I grin when I walk in the front door. When I lay on the bed and look at one of the bedroom walls, or glance above the TV.

 

I used to be the guy with 4 portfolios packed to overflowing in a closet, and a couple pieces hanging on the wall. I'd get the books out and flip through them every so often. Sometimes forgetting I even had certain pieces until I stumbled across them.

I spent the 90s buying whatever struck my fancy, and the beginning of the new century sifting through that mess, selling off a lot of excess material and putting that money into frames for the real jems.

 

Would I own it all if I could? Everything I ever liked or admired or just plain desired and coveted? No. Not anymore. I realized I can't own it all, and I don't really want to. I want to surround myself with the stuff I can truly enjoy within the confines of my budget and house, and not feel like an art glutton.

 

But that's just me.

 

-e.