Placement Excercise at Montana Depot, Flora Hammond

Flora Hammond

ARTZ406, Gallery Practices

Leanne Gilbertson

February 6, 2015

Place Exercise at the Montana Depot

 Compositional Direction:

            There are many works in the Depot that have strong compositional direction such as the large wooden sculpture in front of the back window, some of the large framed pictures that surround it and the two ceramic works. The exhibition design will have the middle pieces in the back of the room and the left and right pieces producing a curving line with their placement as the best accommodation for the auction. Some pictures could be hung side by side, but only if they had the same characteristics. There doesn't appear to be a need for a stopper work.

Subject Matter:

            Some of the works made by different artists have a strong relationship in subject matter while others are as different as night and day. Perhaps the best way to handle such relationships and contrasts would be to place them in groups.

Impact Interest:

            The wood sculpture and contour legs might cause a decrease of interest. Perhaps by placing the sculpture in the middle in front of the large window in the back of the room would put it into focus more easily. As for the drawing, it could be surrounded by more stimulating artwork to have it stand out.

Visual Weight:

            Some of the paintings, like those depicting a multitude of colors, have strong visual weight. The contour legs and the ceramics, however, have very little visual weight because of their almost flat appearance and dull colors. The works with the strongest visual weight may need to be placed surrounding the works with the weakest visual weight because then the attention brought on by the strong visual weights will next shift to the next weakest visual weight.

Color:

            Many of the paintings and ceramics have a dramatic use of color while other pieces, such as the black and white photographs and the contour legs lack colors altogether. Perhaps the best way to balance out the lack of color and dramatic color would be to surround the works lacking color with works with dramatic uses of color.

Visual Mass and Spacing:
            
            A good floor plan, I believe, for this art auction is to take everything that has been discussed before and place said objects in the best location.