The Artists Business Lounge
Art Business Coaching for Visual Artists
The Importance of art Display
Let’s talk about hanging your art.
I am seeing a lot of pics on Instagram lately where work is overhung and it’s honestly driving me just a little bit crazy. I’m talking about displays where whoever has hung the artwork on the wall seems more invested in getting as many pieces as possible onto the walls and not on displaying the work for best effect.
Four reasons I don’t like overhanging.
- Your work deserves to be seen. When work is displayed so high and so low and so tight together, nothing can breathe, your work may struggle to shine.
- Jammed-up makes it hard for the viewer to appreciate your work and therefore makes it harder for someone to fall in love with it and buy it
- It can be, and often is, a (negative) signifier of the professionalism and value of the work, even though the work itself may not warrant that view.
- More work displayed does not correlate to more work sold.
Personally, I love a good ‘salon hang’ and have used them myself. But a ‘salon hang’ doesn’t mean everything under the sun all jammed together.
Here are a couple of examples on Instagram of really nicely arranged ‘salon hangs’ Jan Manton Gallery Michael Reid Northern Beaches
Even the Linden Postcard Show (which is an annual open hang exhibition in St Kilda, in Melbourne Australia) and features hundreds of works, still puts a good amount of space between the individual pieces. See here on Insta
Hanging work super tight together is fine when it’s a diptych or triptych but then you’d still have space between that and other work.
The way your work is displayed can enhance it or it can do the opposite and undo all the effort and consideration you put into making your work.
1) Focus on the strength of the overall exhibition
Rather than only focusing on the individual works, consider how the exhibition works as a whole.
An exhibition needs to feel cohesive, balanced and intentional.
2) Be open to taking one thing out
When installing an exhibition, be open to removing one piece — obviously not your hero image.
Take all of the work with you to the installation because you can really only decide what should stay or go once you see everything in the space. You may choose not to remove anything, particularly if you already hang quite lightly.
Coco Chanel’s famous advice on elegance is weirdly relevant here:
“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.”
3) Leave sufficient space between artworks
If possible, aim for up to 30% of the total wall space to remain free of artwork.
When I work on a hanging plan, I get the floor-plan measurements, check for doors and windows, and then divide the available wall space while allowing room between artworks.
It can be tempting to think:
“That’s a 3-metre wall, so I can fit three 92cm-wide paintings on it.”
But that is going to make your work look too tight.
The amount of space between artworks will depend on their scale. The larger the works, the more breathing room they generally need.
For smaller works, allow at least 7.5–15cm (3–6 inches) between the edges.
What about 3D work?
Similar considerations apply. If displayed on a shelf, position the work around eye level. If displayed on plinths, avoid crowding the pieces and use varying heights and widths suited to the sculptures to create a more impactful display.
4) Use a central line to anchor different-sized and shaped works
The middle of an artwork — or the centre of a group of artworks, such as a grid — should generally sit around eye level.
A useful starting point is approximately 145–160cm (57–60 inches) from the floor to the centre of the work.
Eye level is different for everyone, so treat this as a guide rather than a strict rule.
Use the lower end of the range for lower ceilings and the higher end for taller ceilings.
You may also need to make adjustments for mantelpieces, furniture or sloping floors, but this gives you a strong starting position.
5) Consider presentation before joining a group exhibition
When agreeing to participate in a group exhibition, look at how the organisers typically present and hang the work.
Make the overall presentation style one of your considerations before deciding whether the exhibition is the right fit for you and your work.
One more tip
If you want to learn more about how to present your work, visit the sorts of galleries you most want your art displayed in and contemporary museums to see how they display art. You can learn a lot by observing.
There will be times when a very cluttered hang feels ok for you, in which case go for it. And for your personal collection at home, enjoying living with it is most important, so use these tips wherever they are helpful and otherwise, you know the deal – in your homr you can hang your art however you like.
But otherwise, go ahead and try out these tips to help you display your work with more impact.
PS An Open Hang means all work received is displayed. An open hang can be a good way to get your work on display and a line on your CV. The Linden Postcard show is an annual event that has been going since 1990 and is well-regarded and widely attended.
Plan Your exhibition with greater clarity
The Artist’s Exhibition Practice
Planning an exhibition? The Artist’s Exhibition Practice gives you three ways to get the level of help you need:
The Course
Learn the full exhibition process, from choosing opportunities through to what happens after the exhibition.
The Course + Tools
Add practical planning resources, templates and tools to help you organise and deliver the exhibition.
The Course + Tools + Support
Add individual guidance when you want help making decisions, reviewing your approach or moving things forward.
Some of the ways you can work with me
Individual Coaching – find out more here and submit your expression of interest
Buy a Standalone course (all courses come with bonus lounge access)
Join the Success System Program, our amazing 12-month bells and whistles program.