Sun
An art-savvy publicist, Nancy Nam-Ju HaN of the Art Works Gallery, visited the Dwell presentation centre assigned to match art from the downtown gallery’s portfolio with the wall’s of a Dwell home. She writes:
Have you ever entered a home in which the artwork looks as if it were rescued from a junkyard? Witnessed a pastel painting fade against an equally pastel wall? Or endured a maudlin, figurative piece of a women in shades strolling a windy beach?
Worse even, have you ever entered a home in which the walls are bare although your hosts have spent an entire year, shopping for the perfect sectional sofa to complement their hardwood floors?
All too often home-buyers and homeowners neglect their walls or stick something up they never really liked in the first place. They probably didn’t include artwork in the decor budget.
That’s changing. Today artwork is often the first object of desire with the rest of the decor selected accordingly.
This is especially true with younger, hipper — and consequently, more art-conscious — home-buyers and owners. For them, artwork is becoming less and less of an accessory and more and more of a necessity.
The open-plan, deep-but-narrow Dwell homes are the latest media for expressing that sentiment.
Shopping for a smaller space, however, demands forethought.
The right painting will create a focal point in the space, expanding the space rather than diminishing it. Further, it should complement the residence.
In Dwell, the look is contemporary, urban and innovative — from the wall of built-in storage to the front-loading, stacked washer and dryer. The following pieces would both complement that look and provide demonstrable focal points:
Eminence — Black Dress (Adam Finli, 35 inches x16 inches, mixed media on paper, right) is a decidedly vertical, representational piece that would help accentuate the feeling of open space of an overheight ceiling. The piece speaks of sensuality and class.
At left, from the top:
Constellation I (Martin Quen, both 14 x 231/2 ) are reverse paintings on Plexiglass, mounted on a stainless steel box, from an artist who entered his earlier works in graffiti competitions. These pieces are almost sculptures that can be hung on a wall. The palette is strong but doesn’t detract from one another. The metallic finish would also complement the appliances in the Dwell homes.
Urban Legend I (Riyadh Hashim, 48 x48, mixed media on canvas) would make for a great conversation starter with it’s large, bold, organic shapes and the oversized canvas on which they are presented. It shows a complexity of layers that could have your house guests gazing for hours.
Burst — Joyful (Marc Robert North, 35.5 x 251/2, triptych, acrylic on canvas) offers a clean look with simplicity that doesn’t compromise style — and, further, does so with a hint of retro. Add an INXS album and you’re kicking.
Full sun (Marie-Danielle Leblanc (24 x 72, tar, oil and resin on canvas) is perfect for hanging around the house on a lazy Sunday. Subtle and serene, the shapes and colours in this big piece create a mood for comfort.
Chocolate skies with plums and oranges (Ann Thinghuus, 16 x 16 each, oil on canvas) would turn any room into one of congregation, with its complementary colours. Put on some Billy Holliday for your wine and cheese party.
Whatever your style, whatever your mood, just remember that to go without art on your walls is to go without music in your iPod.
All works are available at Art Works Gallery, 225 Smithe at Cambie. Prices range from $1,200 to $4,500.
For more information call 604-688-3301 or visit artworksbc.com on the Internet.
LONG PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY SUGGESTED
Architect Gair Williamson, too, has an opinion on what artwork might work on a Dwell wall. He writes:
Although good design can accommodate any art, the long horizontal elements of the project — the wall, the track lighting and the plank flooring visually increase the apparent length of the space and suggest a linear art piece that would reinforce this effect.
My preference would be a long linear photographic essay like Stan Douglas’s . . . panorama of 100 West Hastings [above, on a Contemporary Art Gallery wall].
It would offer a counterpoint vista to the extraordinary views to the city and perceptually increase the width of the unit.
Nancy Han’s tips for buying artwork:
Befriend your measuring tape. There is nothing worse than to discover it is too big (or too small) for your wall space.
Measure the piece you are eyeing, cut out a piece of brown craft paper in the measurements and hold it up against the space you envision it.
Don’t buy on trends. If it’s a trend, chances are you won’t like it once the buzz is gone.
Don’t forgo a painting because it’s a landscape (for example). Let the artwork speak to you and you’ll know if it’s a keeper.
Know your budget. You want to enjoy your piece for years, not paying for it for years! But be willing to call it an investment. When it’s the right purchase you’ll want to keep it forever.
Take it home for a test drive. Ask to take your piece home on approval for a week. This way you can live with it before you commit.
Finally, enjoy the entire process. Some galleries are snotty. If you are visiting the right ones, they won’t be. Call ahead or just drop in and pass an afternoon getting inspired.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006