Do I put glass over my wool artwork when I hang it on the wall?
Over the years I’ve gotten this question a lot. Some artists do use stretcher boards (like a stretched canvas), shadowboxes, or traditional frames with or without glass, but my answer to this question is no.
When I began my felting journey, one of the techniques I needed to develop for myself was the method to display my work. Having never been drawn to frames or structured mounting for my pieces I knew I preferred a solution that would make my pieces ready to hang directly on the wall, no glass or frame necessary.
Even my 2D pieces that could be easily layered into a frame with a matte and glass are given the same hanging loops as my 2D-3D creations. With a built up fiber base, the edges of the artwork do not curl forward and down over time under the pull of gravity. Having enough structure to support the shape of the background allows the bare fibers to remain open air and on full display.
What about dust?
I will occasionally pull artwork off the walls, hold them with the artwork facing the floor and the back facing the ceiling or sky and tap them gently (sometimes a bit more rigorously) on the back. I feel that this simple step keeps them dust free to my satisfaction. Having a little dust remaining is a trade off I’m willing to make to leave the beauty of the fibers out in the open.
The variety texture and depth that felted fibers add to a composition are minimized when placed under glass, in my opinion. I enjoy these qualities so much I build up and out of my background with layers so dense and thick that my pieces pop right off the wall. So in my case, if I did use a frame or glass I would need to place my artwork in a shadow box. I much prefer to see the wool up close and personal, including the interesting ways in which fibers twist, puff, hang and poke out beyond the layers around them.
Does wool sweat?
I’ve also learned from a fellow fiber artist that wool fibers will sweat when enclosed amidst fluctuating hot temperatures, so you could be facing an issue of moisture trapped inside your framed piece if using glass.
What if wool is touching the glass?
Most of the time, when paper is framed under glass it is separated by a matte placed between the artwork or photograph and the glass. This difference in depth creates a buffer of air to separate the art from being in direct contact with the glass. This helps to preserve the integrity of the art over time and sunlight will degrade artwork that is in direct contact with glass at a faster rate than artwork that is separated from being in contact with the glass. Considering the texture and dimension of fibers, it is more difficult to maintain a clear separation between the art and the glass. That’s why a shadowbox is often used or recommended – if you want to use a frame and glass.
Whichever direction you choose, I hope these considerations are helpful in your pursuit of displaying your own fiber creations!
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