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Weighing up the Design options.
An important skill In the art of Picture Framing, is designing a mount/frame combination that best compliments the art piece, in good proportions. I have often pondered the aesthetic merit of having a wider border width on the bottom margin of the mount. Why do it? The reason often given is that it corrects a "optical illusion" or " visual aberration" that makes the bottom border seem narrower. This was a bit vague for me, so I investigated further. Another explanation that justifies "bottom-weighting", is that it fulfils an unconscious desire for stability. This can be demonstrated by the fact that almost everyone when asked to draw a triangle, will draw it apex-up, rather than apex-down. |
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| When researching good proportions, in art and design one soon discovers talk of "The Golden Ratio" , which can also explain the need for bottom-weighting a picture. I started reading work by Dr. Mario Livio which fascinated me and soon found myself contemplating the Fibonacci sequence. I am now converted to the principle of mounts wider at the base, however I like to keep it subtle, and if the customer wants the margins equidistant, I fully respect that. |
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