The Art League’s 53rd Long Island Artists Exhibition is just around the corner. We decided to give you a heads up on a big change.

For many years slides were the customary way of judging. Then, with the advent of digital photography and the decline of film, CD’s became the norm. Both have their drawbacks—color might inaccurate, scale can be deceptive, lighting uneven, etc. Furthermore, submitting digital photos being new, many people shied away from entering,

This year the Art League has chosen to have the entries judged, neither by slides nor digital images, but by letting the judge see the actual works. Many of you may remember that was the way it was done years ago. Yet, someone as deep into 21st century technology as last year’s judge, Benjamin Genocchio, urged that we return to it.

It seems that everything that goes around comes around. Who knew? One of the reasons Mr. Genocchio gave was that, in addition to the above-mentioned problems, had he known how certain paintings and photographs would be framed he might not have selected them. This echoed the complaint of Emily Mason and Wolf Kahn, our Long Island Show judges of fifteen years ago. In her follow-up gallery talk Ms. Mason dwelt almost exclusively on the distraction or inappropriateness of the frames. The major complaints? Colored mats, mat liners and frames which seem to confine and cramp the work and, by competing, drain the color out of an otherwise lively piece; mats too small that rob the work of breathing space; heavy frames that cast shadows on the artwork; and elaborate frames that not only compete with the artwork, but seem out of sync with the times—or at least, contemporary canons of art world taste, excepting, of course, the deliberately camp affectations of some Chelsea galleries.

What to do? Unimaginative as it may seem, the answer from Ms. Mason and Mr. Genocchio is to stick to simple moldings and single white, off-white or pale, pale gray archival mats. For works under glass, natural, whitewashed or metal-leafed wood in narrow configurations is perhaps the least conspicuous. Standard aluminum sections share this low-key look, but are somewhat dated. Matte finishes and brushed pewter are now more popular. For canvasses, simple stripping that projects a fraction of an inch for protection is always acceptable, though not as elegant as a floater frame. Floater moldings, unfortunately, are not carried in most framing shops. Such frames may have to be ordered online or custom made—at considerable expense. Unfortunately, most manufacturers don’t compensate for the thickness of the canvas folds at the corners, so you have to be careful about the depth allowance.

Nothing is easy. The thing to keep in mind is that a work exhibited in a public space, for sale or otherwise, should not look as if it came off a bedroom wall or echo the style of a bygone period or a particular decorating scheme. Not only does this introduce a jarring note to the overall look of an exhibition, but, as Ms. Mason pointed out, casts doubt on the professionalism of the artist.

If worried about sales appeal, remember that buyers often reframe to their own tastes and your expensive frame could end up in the trash. In recent years another solution has emerged: frameless. Oils and acrylics can be left unframed to good effect if planned at the start. Paintings stretched on ¾” stretcher bars with staples showing and paint smeared on the canvas sides doesn’t cut it. For this look to work you must wrap the canvas around heavy-duty stretchers with the staples on the back or buy a “gallery wrap” canvas. In either case, tape the sides before painting to keep them clean.

Another option is to work on a cradled panel, which is a gessoed board glued to an elegant birch plywood support. These are available from art supply catalogs, two inches deep in an array of sizes and dimensions.

Sculptors get off rather easy in this regard since they aren’t plagued with all these decisions. However, judges we’ve heard in the past are unanimous on one point: sculpture should never bear those little brass plates engraved with title and artists’ name. Trust the work to speak for itself and let the catalog or the wall label do the rest. And no artist should ever leave stickers or a brass prize plate from another show on his or her exhibited piece.

For reasonably priced custom frames, talk to the Art League’s in-house framer by calling 631 462 5400 for an appointment. Or go to Pottery Barn, IKEA or the Internet. Floater frames can be found at www.frankenframes.com and www.floridaframes.com. Wide flat frames in white or wood tones are available at www.framesbymail.com; and elegant, pricey, museum-style frames at www.metroframe.com.

Whatever you choose, think beyond a single group exhibition toward the possibility of a solo show. Your solo show will gain immeasurably from a consistent, signature framing style. Happy hunting. --Pat Ralph