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Artists have a way of curating art displays and exhibitions to focus your attention entirely on the paintings and the artwork itself. But when you’re at home and not in an art gallery, you can’t exactly rearrange everything you have and dedicate an entire room or space to your new art piece. 

However, art should be displayed for all to see and enjoy, and if you’ve obtained a wonderful new piece, make sure to show it off in your home so that it doesn’t get lost among all the other stuff you own. 

Read on as we look at some basic tips for hanging artwork, particularly intricate abstract art in your home.

1. The Artwork Should Fit into the Selected Space

You know the satisfaction when you piece together a jigsaw puzzle, that’s the kind of symmetry we’re talking about. Look for a wall that isn’t too spacious or too small for your artwork. For instance, you may choose to hang a small to medium-sized painting on a paneled wall, or a pillar or above the mantelpiece or basically any empty, narrow strip. Choosing a massive empty wall will make your room look unfinished. And you don’t want to add other frames or pieces to the wall because then you’ll miss out on the beauty of the artwork.

Alternately, if you have a massive painting, look for a large, empty wall to fill up the space. 

2. Play Around with Light

Don’t place the painting anywhere where it won’t get enough light. Light is what brings out the colors of the artwork and truly makes it shine. If you’ve found the perfect spot but it’s too dark, you can consider installing a small fixture above or even behind and below it to emulate the way artwork stands out in a gallery. 

That being said, it’s ideal to place authentic artwork away from direct sunlight, and natural light- constant exposure to these can dry out the colors and cause them to fade over time. With artificial light, you can control the intensity of the brightness and how frequently you turn it on.

3. Hang the Art at Eye Level

Hanging your purchased artwork too high will detract attention from it. You want the art to be front and center, and the best choice is to keep it at eye level so that your gaze is drawn to it naturally without having to look up or down.

4. Consider Displaying Your Art without hanging it up

Contrary to your first instinct, hanging up artwork on a wall is not the only way to show it off. Be as creative as you like- shelves, cabinets, and mantels can all be used to display the art. You can even come up with ideas that are a little out of the box, like placing the abstract art on an easel or propping it up like a mirror against a chest of drawers in the hallway or the living room. Look around your living space and find the spot that works best.

Endnote

With any type of artwork, especially abstract pieces, there are no hard and fast rules for displaying it. Display art the way and where it feels right to you, but make sure it’s not fading in with something like a boring wall clock, or that it’s not placed in a space where it can never be seen. Look for walls and spaces that are open and obvious where the artwork can be appreciated by the people living in your home and those who come to visit. 

For a look into the unique and creative world of abstract art, head on to the Mark Humes Gallery.