Strip Painting Installation Instructions

Introduction

These instructions are intended for those who have been given the task of installing my artwork, Strip Painting, 2015.

I sincerely thank you for your help.

As someone who has also installed other artists' work in galleries, museums, and art fairs, I understand the importance of clear, concise instructions for getting the job done in a timely fashion. I chose to write an instructable because it is an ideal format for this purpose and can be accessed with a smart phone on site.

About Strip Painting:

Strip Painting plays off of the notion of "drip painting" made famous by artists like Jackson Pollock and Janet Sobel. These artists achieved a new type of pictorial space, one that was no longer tied to representation but drew attention to the act of painting itself. Writing about the "all over" composition in this type of work, Clement Greenberg stated in "The Crisis of the Easel Picture" (1948):

"...the “all-over” painter renders every element and every area of the picture equivalent in accent and emphasis. Like the twelve-tone composer, the “all-over” painter weaves his work of art into a tight mesh whose scheme of unity is recapitulated at every meshing point.“

The Strip Painting takes this line of thinking literally, by reducing the painting to narrow strips and weaving them "into a tight mesh" onto custom wooden wall brackets. A strip painting is able to cover maximum wall space using minimal amount of painting. It is lightweight and the strips are easily detached and rolled up individually for storage and transport.

Tools You Will Need:

Cordless Screwdriver

Phillips and Hex bit

Measuring Tape
Level

Blue Painters tape

Pencil

Ladder

Artwork Includes:

Four custom wooden brackets, identical

Screw for attaching brackets to wall, phillips head, 24 needed, 30 supplied

16 painting strips, rolled individually, numbered 1 through 16

16 painting strips, rolled individually, unnumbered

Machine screws for attaching strips to brackets, hex head, .5 inch long, thread size 1/4"-20, 32 needed, 40 supplied

Step 1: Know the Final Dimensions, Find the Centerpoint on the Wall.

The piece is 100" tall by 66.25" wide when installed. I recommend installing it at least 18" from the ground, but this might change depending on the height of the ceiling and the tastes of the curator.

Locate the center point where the finished piece will be and mark on wall with blue tape. Mark a cross on the tape that designates the center point.

Step 2: Install Wooden Brackets on Wall

From the center point, use the level and measuring tape to measure 50" directly above and below, marking the wall with blue tape and pencil. From these points, use the level to measure 8.125" to the left and 8.125" to the right, and mark with blue tape and pencil.

Install the wooden brackets on the wall using the level and your blue tape marks as a guide according to the diagram. The four brackets are identical. Each bracket has 6 holes for the screws to go through that attach it to the wall. Each bracket has 16 holes for attaching the painting strips to the bracket. One side of the holes has a brass insert, the other doesn't. Install the brackets so the brass inserts are facing up on the upper brackets, and facing down on the lower brackets.

Step 3: Attach Strips to Upper Left Bracket and Lower Right Bracket in Numerical Order

Next you'll be attaching the first set of strips on the upper left and lower right brackets. The strips are in rolls numbered 1 through 16, to be attached according to the diagram.

Begin with roll number 1 which gets attached to the upper left bracket. You can leave the strip rolled up until all the rolls are installed on the upper bracket. This helps them from getting tangled. Attach the strip to the brass insert using one of the machine screws provided. Just place the screws in by hand for now, later you can tighten them with the screwdriver and hex bit.

Once all sixteen strips have been fastened to the upper left bracket, begin on either end and unroll and attach the first strip to the lower right bracket in the same fashion as above. Unroll and attach each strip one by one until all 16 are attached to both brackets.

Step 4: Attach Unnumbered Strips to Upper Right Bracket and Weave Through Other Strips

The second set of strips are unnumbered. The look of this half of the piece is determined by your choices. Install the second half the same way as the first, making sure to weave the strips into the first set before attaching them to the lower left bracket. The strips are woven together using a simple plain weave, over and under, over and under.

Step 5: Tighten the Machine Screws and You Are Done!

Once all the strips are attached and woven together, you can tighten the machine screws with the screwdriver with hex bit. No need to over tighten them, though. The strips should be taught, not droopy.

Thanks again for your help, I hope to have a drink with you at the opening reception!