Suzy Gorman
The question is: Should the art fit the room or the room fit the art?
And the answer: When selecting art, don’t get walled in by an instinct to acquire a painting that fits an empty wall or space exactly.
While it’s true that a small painting could look lost and unimpressive mounted on an expansive wall, you don’t need to fill every square inch of visible wall space. In fact, most art needs breathing room to be appreciated. And depending on the art, you may find that under scaling can make the largest impact. Ultimately, it depends upon the piece itself. If the piece of art is small but mighty, chances are it can dominate a much larger wall space.
If you feel strongly about a particular piece – no matter the size – buy the art you love and then create a place for it by rearranging the room or building a vignette around it to make it truly “fit” the space.
By Jimmy Jamieson of Jamieson/Sherman Fine Art Consultants and Jamieson Design
