How do your friends react to your OA (framed and hung or otherwise)

[alxjhnsn]

On a different thread, we find:

nobody in my circle (of non-collectors) would ever ask, they don't even look at the stuff on the walls to begin with...unless it's "mature" and then they're all "oh my god, how can you hang that up in the living room??!"

 

Is that the common reaction?

 

We have a lot of art on our walls - oils, prints, watercolors, OA, etc. Generally, people don't comment on any of it. However, when they actually notice the OA, I get a lot more questions about it than the fine art. I've found my friends and acquaintances (who notice it) to be at least mildly / politely interested across the board and some really like it. There are lots that don't seem to even see it on the wall (or any of the other art either).

[AKA Rick]

I think personally, it's a reflection of your personality.

 

Some "super fans" go a bit too overboard where it looks like a retail store in their home or it's sensory overload. It's okay to have one or two pieces, but once you build a "shrine" of sort, be prepared to be relegated to garnering the stigma of being fanatical.

 

I've had friends, single male's, who brought female dates to their homes and the girls first impressions were... not, "hmm, he likes this stuff, that's cool", but more "wow! he really LOVES this stuff, that's kinda weird."

 

Having pride doesn't mean you should fly your geek flag loud and proud, as some correlate the geek flag of pop culture as the freak flag of immaturity, especially when it's too over the top.

 

I know most single men in the hobby make their entire home their "man cave" bachelor pad, but be wary of the repercussions in how you're perceived.

 

I know it's less about caring what other people think, but it's also why people dress up and don't wear their pajama's to work, where it's about common sense and having filters while knowing the social repercussions of being left of center, all while not necessarily caring about the mainstream, but co-existing with it and creating balance.

 

Also, I've had friends who've had visitors look at their art and collectibles and commenting on it, where inadvertently it becomes a question of the value and while some collectors like to pump their chest with pride in the value, or feel defensive that their adolescent hobby is monetized as modern day nostalgic treasures, it's a slippery slope. I've heard of one person telling another of the value of their stuff only for it to be accidentally in casual conversation be mentioned around the wrong set of ears and then opportunity theft occurs.

 

 

[Bronty]

 

Having pride doesn't mean you should fly your geek flag loud and proud, as some correlate the geek flag of pop culture as the freak flag of immaturity, especially when it's too over the top.

 

 

 

Over the top is the kiss of death. Less is more with this kind of stuff. A few pieces are cool but I find it detracts from my own enjoyment of my home, let alone what anyone else may think, when its all over the place.

[Bronty]

On a different thread, we find:

nobody in my circle (of non-collectors) would ever ask, they don't even look at the stuff on the walls to begin with...unless it's "mature" and then they're all "oh my god, how can you hang that up in the living room??!"

 

Is that the common reaction?

 

We have a lot of art on our walls - oils, prints, watercolors, OA, etc. Generally, people don't comment on any of it. However, when they actually notice the OA, I get a lot more questions about it than the fine art. I've found my friends and acquaintances (who notice it) to be at least mildly / politely interested across the board and some really like it. There are lots that don't seem to even see it on the wall (or any of the other art either).

 

 

I suspect you get more questions on the comic OA than the fine art because it doesn't fit into what they expect art to look like. Its not a vase of flowers, or a girl on a beach, or horses running in a field... instead its batman, its black and white, its not like what they've seen before, so it raises more questions. They aren't going to have any real interest in either, but paintings they've seen before and comic OA they haven't.

[Brian Peck]

I live in a 2 bedroom house and have some of my collection framed on the walls. In the living room is the Rock and Roll art and Pin-up Cheesecake (comic art in the den). Most of my friends know I collect original art and usually ask about the new stuff I have up on the walls. There is nudity in some of the pieces in the living room (Olivia, Silke, Sneyd). People always ask me about my collecting when they see the art on the walls, some people who have never been to my place before will ask if I did the art. Which always surprises me since the styles vary so much and if I could draw like that would be in another profession.

[alxjhnsn]

who brought female dates to their homes and the girls first impressions were... not, "hmm, he likes this stuff, that's cool", but more "wow! he really LOVES this stuff, that's kinda weird."

I lived in a house with my brother (50/50 owners). My bedroom had comics in it. Lots of them on book shelves (bricks and boards) no art. I met my wife in Feb, 1981, saw her a 2nd time in July, 1981, went on a date at the end of August, 1981, dated her and others until Feb, 1982 when I accidently proposed (a story for another day). Married in Nov, 1982. In 1983, the following happened (click to read the story):

 

That was a magazine cover - sadly, it was computer generated.

 

Over the top is the kiss of death. Less is more with this kind of stuff.

Three pieces hang in the den curated by Kathy.

 

There is a room with other art hung, but the doors are closed unless there is a party. Pictures here.

 

I suspect you get more questions on the comic OA than the fine art because it doesn't fit into what they expect art to look like.

You are probably right. It is different.

 

What surprises me is how some people never notice it at all.

 

 

[Bronty]

I dunno, do you pay attention to what crown mouldings your neighbours have? Do you care? For most people art is decorative not collectible... meant to match the drapes and not much else

[Mephisto]

I dunno, do you pay attention to what crown mouldings your neighbours have? Do you care? For most people art is decorative not collectible... meant to match the drapes and not much else

 

I had about 5 people over on July 3rd and not a word was said about the art in the living room and it varies from Cobra Commander to Luke Skywalker to Hobgoblin.

[vodou]

For most people art is decorative not collectible... meant to match the drapes and not much else

Good topic Alex.

 

Yes. Art appreciation is niche. Comic art appreciation is niche of a niche. Not that there's anything wrong with that

 

FWIW...before I settled down, bringing dates back to my place...the art really turned them on (no, not like that). I mean it started interesting discussions, the gals generally liked that I was open-minded (I think they projected that though) and had "things to say" about art (any art, including comic art), not the usual testosterone "art is for faeries" expectation they have of most men. Girls love passionate romantics. Art is romantic by definition, and anybody that spends hundreds and thousands per piece...definitely passionate. It really worked. Even better, it was honest and I didn't have to 'be' something I wasn't when talking about it.

 

To this day, when a very casual acquaintance (female) comes around for the first time, the art is immediately noticed and commented on w/o prompting. The magic is still there, even though I'm very much (and obviously) settled down. But the regular friends and family, nothing or negative, something about familiarity breeds...something or other?

[Bronty]

I live in a 2 bedroom house and have some of my collection framed on the walls. In the living room is the Rock and Roll art and Pin-up Cheesecake (comic art in the den). Most of my friends know I collect original art and usually ask about the new stuff I have up on the walls. There is nudity in some of the pieces in the living room (Olivia, Silke, Sneyd). People always ask me about my collecting when they see the art on the walls, some people who have never been to my place before will ask if I did the art. Which always surprises me since the styles vary so much and if I could draw like that would be in another profession.

 

Missed this somehow. I've been asked that as well

[J.Sid]

Also, I've had friends who've had visitors look at their art and collectibles and commenting on it, where inadvertently it becomes a question of the value and while some collectors like to pump their chest with pride in the value, or feel defensive that their adolescent hobby is monetized as modern day nostalgic treasures, it's a slippery slope. I've heard of one person telling another of the value of their stuff only for it to be accidentally in casual conversation be mentioned around the wrong set of ears and then opportunity theft occurs.

 

 

$150-$200 bucks. Everything I have is $150-$200 bucks. Except of course things like Adam Hughes sketches which are given away for free at conventions and are basically worthless.

[vodou]

Also, I've had friends who've had visitors look at their art and collectibles and commenting on it, where inadvertently it becomes a question of the value and while some collectors like to pump their chest with pride in the value, or feel defensive that their adolescent hobby is monetized as modern day nostalgic treasures, it's a slippery slope. I've heard of one person telling another of the value of their stuff only for it to be accidentally in casual conversation be mentioned around the wrong set of ears and then opportunity theft occurs.

 

 

$150-$200 bucks. Everything I have is $150-$200 bucks. Except of course things like Adam Hughes sketches which are given away for free at conventions and are basically worthless.

Yes. The best part of that is when their eyes widen (politely) as even that number seems high.

[Eric Seffinga]

Ive mentioned this before, usually in framing threads, but art is all around the house. I don't think it is obtrusive or particularly nerdy in presentation, but it is decidedly different. In part I consider myself lucky in that my wife and I have every similar tastes in most things. We are best friends and we do most things together, and it is reflected throughout our home.

 

Our friends are our friends because they know who we are and what out interests are. Many of them share some of our interests and even those that don't know us well enough to be unsurprised by them and respect them. Our families on both sides know us both well. We've been together over 20 years, so no big surprises there.

 

As for strangers, and other visitors, the reactions range from the surprising

"Wow, I really a love your house. It's amazing"

Oooh, this is so quirky and fun"

 

To the polite

"Wow, you got a lot of art on your walls"

"Your art is very interesting"

 

Often followed by the politely amusing, if not terribly original

"Did you guys make all these?" And "you guys paint really good"

 

To the unsurprising strange looks of assorted repair or delivery people glancing at a piece on a wall as if it was a spider, mold, or a pair of dirty undies hanging from the wall.

 

For the latter, I don't really care. As someone that never much cared the same way in Jr High, high school or even after about what "society" thought, and hung out with the punk rock kids, I've always been that way.

 

Having a self curated mix of art types on the walls (gallery, comic, underground, folk) throughout the house and I suppose not having much for men in tights art may play into people's reactions. Also having the space be well designed/decorated so it all appears to have a bit more sophistication and doesn't look like a nerd bachelor pad or overgrown teenagers bedroom helps as well. I've not interest in the art-mullet house (business in front and party in the back).

 

It certainly doesn't look like anyone else's house that I know, but it feels like home to us.

[vodou]

I've not interest in the art-mullet house (business in front and party in the back).

Chuckle!

[ciorac]

original art is the only thing I collect that my wife approves of. So when company comes over and they ask about it, she enthusiastically tells them about the uniqueness of each page. Folks seem to appreciate that, much more than my comics, statues, big little books, etc.

 

All of it is relegated to the upstairs "office" room of the house, so it isn't part of the main house area that guests commonly visit in

[Doc Joe]

A fair bit of my art is framed and occupies the back staircases of the house,

 

example of some of the art on the back staircase going up

 

The Secret Wars and GR covers are visible from the kitchen

 

 

Then going up the stairs

 

 

and around the corner,

 

 

and down the staircase towards the basement

 

 

just a very small sampling of what I have up.

 

Universally the reaction is "this is the coolest stuff ever"; people always love it (I don't think they are just being polite!)

 

They think this just seeing it then when descriptions of the artists and what is going on and showing the different elements of how the comics were made etc they seem to really like it, kids of course have a great time.

 

(recently "this is the coolest house I have ever been in - but then I have a big video arcade in the basement and I had an in depth conversation with an 8 year old about the latest Nova comic and showed him some of the OA covers from the series which was pretty awesome!)

 

Joe

[Phill the Governor]

A fair bit of my art is framed and occupies the back staircases of the house,

 

example of some of the art on the back staircase going up

 

The Secret Wars and GR covers are visible from the kitchen

 

 

Then going up the stairs

 

 

and around the corner,

 

 

and down the staircase towards the basement

 

 

just a very small sampling of what I have up.

 

Universally the reaction is "this is the coolest stuff ever"; people always love it (I don't think they are just being polite!)

 

They think this just seeing it then when descriptions of the artists and what is going on and showing the different elements of how the comics were made etc they seem to really like it, kids of course have a great time.

 

(recently "this is the coolest house I have ever been in - but then I have a big video arcade in the basement and I had an in depth conversation with an 8 year old about the latest Nova comic and showed him some of the OA covers from the series which was pretty awesome!)

 

Joe

 

Joe,

 

What an elegant setup. I've always been a fan of simple black mats. Really makes the art pop!

 

- Phill

[Doc Joe]

Thanks, I've seen people trying to do green frames for hulk pics and red for Spider-Man etc but I found it simplest to frame the art as it were and not have the frame be part of it, the one exception might be my fastner Larson paintings which I think need something other than a black frame but I'm a ways off from getting them on the wall, need to complete man cave renovation first!

[marktom]

I only have 3 pieces framed and hung in my house (aside from those in my home office) - a Ditko ASM page, an early Gil Kane ASM cover, and a George Herriman hand-colored, w/hand painted frame, Krazy Kat Sunday.

 

The only one that really receives any comments is the Krazy Kat. I think people are confused by the lack of color on the B&W pieces. They really don't understand the process of how comics are made. They're used to seeing the printed versions in color, and probably never thought of what was involved in making them.

 

The Krazy Kat does get a lot of compliments, (though most people aren't aware of the character).And frankly, the colored Krazy Kat does look better hanging on the wall than the black and white Spider-mans do.

 

--Mark T

[Garf]

Love the setup Doc. That's really nice... almost makes me wish that I had tried black mats on my stairwell setup, but my stairwell is a lot darker than yours an I think it might just make it look too dingy. The thing I love most about having art in the stairwell is that it's kinda out of the way so it won't dominate the house but also a spot that I am guaranteed to pass through several times a day and enjoy.