How to frame Rizzi's 3D works

What is important to consider when framing?

The 3D constructions of Pop Art artist James Rizzi, who died in 2011, are known all over the world. Rizzi designed countless of his characteristically colourful 3D works over the course of his extraordinary career. At HALBE, we are often asked how to properly frame such a work. Here we explain how to properly display your Rizzi 3D.

There are several places to go to purchase a 3D work by James Rizzi. Accordingly, you might have already purchased a painting with or without the appropriate underlaid passepartout. In either case, we have the right solution for you.

Rizzi-3D with relined passepartout

If you have already bought the picture mounted in an underlaid passepartout (see picture), the frame purchase is quite simple. In this case we recommend a CLASSIC magnetic frame with the appropriate insertion depth. The work is thus placed in the picture frame together with the passepartout. Afterwards, you insert the glass and reattach the overframe, and the picture is framed!

There are two points to consider here:

• The frame size: Choose your Classic magnetic frame to fit the size of your picture including passepartout. To do this, simply measure the height and width of the passepartout at the outer edge. When ordering, the dimensions you specify will always be equivalent to the glass dimension of the frame.
• The insertion depth: In the configurator you can determine the insertion depth of your frame to the millimetre. As a rule, Rizzi works mounted in the relined passepartout are 16mm thick in total. However, the thickness may vary, so you should always take measurements and specify the exact depth before ordering.

Rizzi-3D on paper sheet (without underlaid passepartout)

If you have purchased the picture without a relined passepartout, there is another solution for you. Here, a HALBE DISTANCE magnetic frame is used:

Instead of being mounted in an already underlaid passepartout, here the 3D work is mounted on a background board so that it is centered in the frame. Then, the frames's spacer bars are inserted magnetically, and a classic 3mm passepartout is placed on top. Now all that is left to do is to insert the glass and press on the overframe, and the work is perfectly framed!

With this method, the spacer bars of the DISTANCE frame provide the distance between the work and the passepartout, which maintains the depth effect and protects the work:

If you want to frame your Rizzi 3D this way, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• The 3D work must be mounted on the base element of the frame or a background board so that it does not slip in the frame later.
• The cut-out of the passepartout: Choosing the right cut-out of the passepartout is particularly important so that the entire motif remains visible in the frame and does not appear constricted. It is usually sufficient to measure the entire motif on the sheet and add 2cm each for height and width. This way, the cut-out of the passepartout is later 1 cm larger than the motif.
  If the signature of the artist is below the motif, for example, this should also be taken into consideration. In this case, the cut-out can be enlarged slightly overall or only towards the bottom. Example: For a motif measuring 25 x 35 cm, the cut-out should be approx. 27 x 37 cm.
• The size of the frame: It is important here that the passepartout does not run too narrowly around the motif later. Above all, however, it depends on the right proportions and your own taste. For the works of James Rizzi, a much larger passepartout is usually used. For small works, for example, people often choose a 20 x 24 cm frame. The wide passepartout focuses the view on the picture and gives it an appropriate stage.