Our client bought this print from the artist at the 2013 “Fiesta Grande”, the huge annual street fair on Grande Avenue between Speedway and St. Mary’s in Barrio Hollywood. Linda Victoria is a local digital artist whose work focuses on Tucson’s unique culture and folklore, saying her mission is “To use my artistic and technical talents as my voice to lift up the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of what remains of the Sonoran Desert – butchered, carved up, blown up, tunneled under, walled off, yet still magnificent, mystical, and ‘full of sound’ to those who listen.” She points out that the Spanish word “sonoran” literally means “full of sound” and that our desert is the earth’s most biologically diverse in the world. Linda says she loves Fiesta Grande because “it’s the ultimate tribute to Chicano Culture in Tucson.”
Visit Linda Victoria’s Website…
With works on paper, a slender “drawing” frame is common, proportionately thinner than the mat’s width to form a pleasing visual hierarchy and enough visual breathing room to isolate the image from its surroundings.
The depth a double mat provides is also prescribed to provide enough air space (1/8″) to allow any moisture that may condense on the inside surface of the glass during daily swings in temperature to harmlessly evaporate.
The round top profile of this frame also make the convex shapes of the Chevy feel at home. Our client wanted the frame’s finish to bring attention to the Chicano in the foreground with his black and gray striped shirt. A custom Charcoal Gray stain was mixed from Ebony and Silver Gray stains and tested on a few species of hardwood. The maple (top) was so hard and smooth that the stain never penetrated enough to achieve the depth of the black shirt, but the more absorbent basswood (from the Linden tree) took so much stain that it was too dark (middle). To lighten the stain and to bring a hint of the warm wood color into the mix, we lightly sanded the frame and got just the right balance (bottom). The frame was then sealed with shellac and waxed to a light sheen.
To affix it to the backing board, the print was hinged to with mulberry paper tabs using a water-reversible adhesive so that no glue or tape residue would damage the paper over time, and it was glazed with UV filtering anti-reflective glass. This print should now endure for generations. Happy with the finished product, our clients displayed it proudly on their mantelpiece where the charcoal gray and woodgrain colors seen on the frame feel right at home.
