Framing in the New Millennium - GK Framing

A fresh York framing business has created a frame store for the future with innovative solutions and technological inventions.

It was the 1980 and Elizabeth Goldfeder was spending a fresh York evening with her photographer friend and sometimes client, Eric Kahan, in her frame store Goldfeder was cleaning a large piece of Plexiglas, readying it to place atop the artwork that waited nearby. When she believed the glazing was clean, she confidently positioned it upon the art, only to find a piece of dust had adhered itself in the interim. She remov the Plexiglas, recleaned it and replaced it. above and over again, a dust blot a hair, a stray particle appeared between the glass and the artwork. Kahan watched as Goldfeder grew increasingly frustrated with the time exhausted completing the framing cleanly.

Not lengthy after, Kahan was photographing a clean latitude at a semiconductor company for an annual report, and he notion "If Elizabeth had this, there would be no dust!"

pretty soon not only was the partnership of Goldfeder/Kahan Framing built--along with the couple's marriage on the other hand so was their very be in possession of clean room. "We asked for Sheetrock for wedding gifts," said Kahan.

The clean field at GK Framing which the brace opened in Chelsea 11 years ago, is just single of the innovations that make this "mom-and-pop" frame store transcend the visions that phrase summons The stylish store caters to an exclusive clientele of fine art collectors from around the globe, small galleries and large institutions that proffer unique assignments. "We get a destiny of impossible projects to elucidate from museums and private conservators over the world," said Kahan.

The store is known for providing an unerring design organ of vision responsive customer service and for pursuing perfection in the care of pieces--like works by dint of Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Francisco de Goya, Paul Klee Edward Hopper Cindy Sherman, Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir--that pass from one side its double doors into its humidity controll spaces It's also renowned for its constant search to improve through homegrown technology, like clean compasss proprietary software programs and robotic mat cutter Mom-and-pop kicked up a notch.

A put in motion for the Better

GK Framing lately moved south to the TriBeCa neighborhood, sparked partly through a rent increase. But Kahan, who seizes upon opportunities to make dreams a reality, said the situation is "allowing us to be augmented to achieve dreams. What I meditation was the ultimate frame store 11 years ago was a tester compared to this."

"This" is a of recent origin multi-million dollar facility in a just-renovated downtown space that will house expensive condos upon the upper levels and GK Framing upon the lower floors. The space, built to suit GK Framing and be in possession ofed by the Kahans, takes into account all that Goldfeder and Kahan have learned and experienced in their years of business, and applies it to create the "ultimate frame shop"

"We meditation about how people walk, in what manner people move, how art is mov the process" said Kahan, discussing the planning. plays where clients will meet with GK Framing staff and view their newly framed works will range from public to semi-private to totally private, depending on the needs of the client or the work of art. High ceilings, white-painted brick walls, skylights and track lighting that can mimic the illumination horizontals of clients' own homes are among the amenities of the "open at liberty spacious, private" space that Kahan said will tender a "greater experience."

Certain basic ideals will remain unchanged in the novel location. "We take care of art, we take care of tribe and we make the art direct the eye good," said Kahan of the GK Framing mission. "When customers advance they get 100 percent of us. clan are coming for a service, not a product" he added, speaking of the by-appointment-only nature of their frame-shop business.

In the showroom the customer suitables privately with GK Framing staff members, who listen and learn about the works to be framed and the desires of the client. These meetings can be as prolonged as required and can include ordering in gourmet dinners or spreading artwork on the outside across the room.

Later, one time a work is framed, clients lay out as much time as they like in the private viewing scope designed to resemble an upscale living play before taking the piece abiding-place Here, they can see by what mode the framed piece looks hanging upon a wall, discover how it reacts to lighting that imitates that of the their possess home, learn how it may reply to all the pieces that are part of a series to be displayed. "We want them to have feeling good about the work when they take it home" said Kahan.

Start With useful Design

But before viewing draw nears the framing itself, which at GK Framing is an fact wrought with innovative methods and ripe with design inspiration. The piece of work often begins with a long discussion and research into what frames might have been upon the piece throughout history.

For a newly framed photographic series, Vice President of Sales and Showroom and throw Manager Shonali Gbanerjee worked with the two the client/photographer and the client's designer to learn about the one and the other the subject matter of the ethereal, slightly abstract work and the mode of speech of the client's home.