Mark Rothko: Works on Paper, 1941 – 1947
Pace Gallery

Bark Frameworks frame designer Amy Hinten worked with New York-based artist Wardell Milan and Freankel Gallery in San Francisco to design frames for Milan’s exhibition “Parisian Landscapes, Blue in Green,” the artist’s first west coast show. Milan’s mixed media works — which include drawing, painting, photography, and collage — explore themes of the fractured body, gender identity, art historical symbolism, and socioeconomic power in today’s society.

The artist worked directly with Ms. Hinten to create frames that complemented his artworks, which vary in size, from as small as 11″ tall, to as large as almost 8′ tall. Maple was selected for the profiles, which were spare stem profiles. Individual stain and pigmented wax finishes were created for some of the frames, depending on the tones in the artwork. Other frames were finished with paint and casein. Milan’s works on paper were floated on an archival back mat, with 100% cotton rag board fillets. The majority of the works were glazed with Optium Museum Acrylic.

The results are powerful but subdued archival frames that creates an environment in which the art seems to float. The colors in these mixed media works are vibrant and illuminated in the Gallery space.

“Parisian Landscapes” is on view through Feb. 16th, 2019. For more information, visit Fraenkel Gallery

Photography: Jennifer M. Clark