Interview with
Massimiliano Gurrieri
Image
of Massimiliano Gurrieri by Massimiliano Gurrieri - Owner of Lab Federici
and
provided to Manner of Man Magazine for exclusive use
and
cannot be reproduced without written authorisation. All rights reserved.
This exclusive interview
with Massimiliano Gurrieri, Owner of Laboratorio Federici was conducted by
Nicola Linza and Cristoffer Neljesjö in Bologna, Italy during March 2013
How did you enter the framing business?
My father was working at Laboratorio Federici since he was 15 years old. When
he was 40, He always took me to the workshop to watch the work and play with
wood so I started to be interested in frames when I was very young. When I was
thirteen, I carved my first frame and I understood that the profession of
“carver" and "gilder” had to be my professions in the future. My
father ran Laboratorio Federici between 1982 and 1999 so I had the great opportunity
to learn all his secrets about work and when I finished the Institute of Art of
Bologna I started to make frames professionally for a living. That was in 1989.
Is there a reason why a
particular frame fits a picture more than another?
The frames have always to follow their paintings in shape and style because
they actually are complementary to them. In terms of shape and style, the major
rules for framing are the following:
- If you have a portrait you should frame it with a frame with a large section
width and with big carvings to give to it importance.
- If you have a landscape you just have to do
the opposite, using a smaller section width and with smaller carving just
because the landscapes themselves are plenty of small details.
So this is more or less
the way we have to reason. “Frames have to follow paintings in their style and
shape!” In terms of light that we are trying to give to dark paintings by
framing them we can use sometimes gilt and dark lacquered frames rather than
bright gilt frames.
Actually when a painting is dark should be framed with a very dark frame to let
it appear more bright. I know that could sound strange but it is just like
that. At the same way if we have to frame, a bright painting we really need to
use a bright frame otherwise the big contrast could be not that handsome. These
are few simple rules to behaviour for framing paintings. In the end, art is not
like mathematics, and it should be the client who expresses the last preference
for framing his own painting.
Do you have a favourite commission that comes to mind?
I have in mind several works but one of my favourite work is the one I made for
the "Patriarca of Venice," for whom I made 30 frames. They were framing
the 30 past Patriarca of the town of the past centuries. I used the frame code
023 that is just one of my favourite frames in terms of shape and carving and
it fits very well to portraits. It is a very rich frame, an 18th century roman
frame with plenty of carvings and it is round, which is perfect for portraits.
I remember that I carved them in almost 100 days because my clients were in a rush,
so I had almost to go to work in the evening.
After that huge work for just a single carver, I felt really satisfied. The day
of the delivery that was at “The Patriarcato of Venice” was a pleasant sunny
day. I reached the place by boat and I was proud of putting something made from
me in such a big mix of style and arts that is Venice with its old buildings.
You can design or select a single frame from any time period to re-frame the
Mona Lisa, which would it be? And why?
For the Mona Lisa I would use my frame code 017 which is a Tuscany 15th century
frame because I think it represents more than other any frame the
"Rinascimento" and I can describe this model frame as the original
first classic frame that marks the very beginning of the numerous prestigious
frames that were designed from most important old master painters since and
after Renaissance times.
Actually this frame is so classic in terms of style, with its ornate elements
that were used even during Roman Empire, that I think it will be the best
marriage between a frame and a painting like Mona Lisa. Leonardo was and is
considered as one of the most important artist of the Renaissance times, so in
this special case, frame and painting belong to the same century, to the same
region and in fact to the same classic style.
How would you frame a
portrait of yourself?
As I am a man of contemporary time, I will not use a Renaissance or a Baroque
frame but I will use a more sober one. I will use code 016 (18th century roman
frame) because is a very simple frame, very adaptable to any kind of image.
Even if it is simple and without carving, it has an important section width
designed probably from Salvator Rosa himself, and it is a great combination of
sobriety and beauty. For is own shape, most of the time, is used by Italian
antique dealers for framing any kind of painting, portraits as landscapes,
because never happen that final clients and buyers find it wrong for the
painting that are buying. It is actually a kind of “passpartout” that you could
use anytime for anything. This is the best reason for why I will use it.
The above interview with Massimiliano Gurrieri 2013 © Manner of Man
Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without
written permission from the publisher.
