Pimp My Pad: Stuff for Walls

[nurtsi]

I bought my first apartment few months ago and I've been slowly trying to make it look like my own. My walls are a bit barren, so I'd like to turn to you fine folks for your untoppable taste in interior decoration.

So lets start with things you hang on walls, paintings, posters, etc. I have one James Jean already, but if you know any other cool, awesome, beautiful or thought-provoking images, share them here. The stuff should be obtainable as a physical copy. That is, I do not want to get a digital picture and try to go and find a place to print a poster from it.

Lets say money is not an issue, so you can go wild with Jackson Pollock and Van Gogh, if you think those are cool.

[Sky]

You would spend money on a Jackson Pollock? I guess I have nothing to add here.

[nurtsi]

Hey, the guy has made the most expensive painting ever according to wikipedia. His work must be awesome

[Murgos]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/blog/2009/jan/19/putin-painting-verdict

[Yegolev]

Personally, I think you should put up a lot of lights so that you can be seen.

[ShenMolo]

http://www.blainefontana.com/storefront.html

http://www.lucong.com/portfolio/

http://www.limitedaddictiongallery.com/artist.php

[Nebu]

Depending on where you live, you can actually find some nice (and unique) wall art at Flea markets and sidewalk art shows.   I've found some wonderful pieces of original art at flea markets and often for less than $100. 

Edit: I've also mentioned estate sales before.  Great places for art and furniture if you go in with a little knowledge. 

[SnakeCharmer]

I'd go with what Nebu said.  Find some of the local starving artist in your area.  Besides, put up what you like, since you're the one that's going to be looking at it most of the time.

[Signe]

I like Jackson Pollock!  Also, happy belated birthday to poor old dead guy.  

No problems with money?  Go to Artnet and go nuts!

[Merusk]

Pollack's ok, but I always preferred Jasper Johns. Him and the guy that did the Comic book style art with the large dots.. damnit I can't remember the name it's been so long.

Nagel's fun if you like decorating like its the 80s or an Asian nail salon.

Ah, got it.. it was Roy Lichtenstein I was thinking of. Damn old man brains.

[Yegolev]

I'm looking at a painting of a matador on velvet as my next item.  This one is an authentic from Tijuana.

[Prospero]

There is a set of 7 Dali drawing that were concept art for Destino( his Disney short. ) I couldn't quite convince my wife to let me get them a couple years ago, but they were fricking beautiful, and cheaper than one might think.

[Samwise]

Looking around myself, the things on my cubicle walls include:

1) A set of Portal posters.
2) An Army of Darkness movie poster.
3) A Jolly Roger.
4) A stippled drawing of a Heliamphora from my sister, which she based on this photo I took.
5) A section of foam wall from a haunted house sort of thing I constructed for Halloween a few years back.
6) My college diploma.
7) A magnetic dartboard.

At home is mostly similar stuff -- art projects from myself or friends and familiy, and the handful of nifty posters I've collected over the decades.  Not much in the way of pricey "fine art".  I only recently bought my own home, so the concept of being able to put nails in walls to hang paintings is still new to me.

[bhodi]

OK, this is a long shot but the right thread at least.  I was at an acquaintance's party several years ago and he had a piece of art up on the wall that I really liked. In fact, now I want it. The problem is I've since lost touch and have no way to get any information about it, so I turn to you. Maybe you guys can point me at something similar.

It was a face and it had framing similar to Shodan.It was done in a dark background and dark colors, also similar to the referenced picture but without the circuitry and green lines. I also believe it was taller than it was wide.

The entire picture was gridded in one inch squares with a bit of black space(or maybe dark grey) between to accentuate the squares, and within the squares the entire painting was made up of (I think) 16 'pixels' of color each. The effect of all this makes the face clear from a distance (while being able to see the the larger squares), while up close the pixels within the squares were easily distinguishable. It was very modern and cyberpunk by design without being overly geeky.

The dark colors and limited palette made the painting work, and I very much desire to own it or something similar. Has anyone seen or heard of anything like this? I *believe* it was oil on canvas but I cannot honestly recall.

[K9]

Besides, put up what you like, since you're the one that's going to be looking at it most of the time.

This. I was in a similar situation a few months ago and a good friend of mine who works as an evaluator for Bonhams gave me this very advice. If you solely want something to go on your wall, get something you like the look of, regardless who made it. "Art" is for collectors.

[SnakeCharmer]

I only recently bought my own home, so the concept of being able to put nails in walls to hang paintings is still new to me.

Get this, or something similar.  Will make your life much easier.

[Yoru]

I've had my current apartment for six months and still haven't put shit onto the walls. That said, you may want to check with your local library.

The city library here will rent artwork - framed paintings - on a weekly or monthly basis for a fairly reasonable fee, meaning you can rotate your decor as desired/needed. Alternately, if you're a cheap-ass single bastard like me, you can decorate just for those times when you host parties or gatherings. 

I have a cache of souvenirs from traveling that I eventually intend to get mounted and decorate with, I just haven't had the funds or motivation to do so yet.

Also, I've always been a fan of Edward Hopper, particularly his Cape Code stuff. You should be able to purchase prints of his paintings online. Unfortunately, getting a print properly framed isn't cheap.

[Jobu]

This gallery up in LA that has a great tradition of showing digital and modern illustrative artists. They've hosted galleries from Pixar artists, and some artists at Blizzard, for example. They have a great print section, you might something fun and unique. Or you can buy the originals.

http://gallerynucleus.com/prints

[nurtsi]

This gallery up in LA that has a great tradition of showing digital and modern illustrative artists. They've hosted galleries from Pixar artists, and some artists at Blizzard, for example. They have a great print section, you might something fun and unique. Or you can buy the originals.

http://gallerynucleus.com/prints

This is great stuff.

Unfortunately, getting a print properly framed isn't cheap.

This. I paid more for the silly framing than the actual image for my first poster. Because it had these weird dimensions none of the ready-made poster frames would fit it.

[Lantyssa]

I'm not big into art, but two that always caught my eye were Steve Hanks and Michael Parks.  What Hanks manages with watercolor is just amazing.  I've never been into surrealism, however the realistic surrealism of Parks makes me love it.  Probably because I loved the photo-realistic Dutch Masters and loathe abstract.

     

[Nerf]

If you call around to some print shops in town, chances are you'll find one with a large plotter capable of running canvas.  When one of my businesses needed canvas printing done, we found a print shop with a Roland hi-fi, told them we'd buy the canvas ($100 or so for 30"x100' roll or somesuch) and pay them something stupid like $15 per 30x30 print.  You can get frames online dirt cheap too.  A hi-res image printed on canvas looks amazing, if you really want to fool people into thinking its art, get some clear acrylic and add in brush strokes.  Stretch it with 1x2"s (roll some of the printed area onto the sides) and hang it like that.

Or you can just buy it, but I'm cheap and have free time.

[pants]

Another vote for local flea markets, cheap galleries etc.  You get to talk to the starving artist, buy something you like, and if you're really lucky - some day they'll make it famous and your painting will be worth millions!

[schild]

I'd rather have a dog with a shitting problem than a Pollock in my house. I only read the OP.

If money isn't an option, I'd buy a Lisa Yuskavage or Gerhard Richter.



Note, most of the Yuskavage stuff is nudes. Would still get one.



I'd also make a huge, giant, fat donation to f13.

[Ookii]

I'd suggest imagekind.com if you have rather large files on your computer you'd like to turn into posters.

I recently printed on a 24 megapixel picture I had to their largest size, it was about 50 bucks.  The thing looks great too.

Oh and they have tons and tons of original art too you can get, although I'm sure you'd have to wade through it a bit.

[K9]

Also, art.com is definitely worth a browse if you want ideas for stuff. You can also purchase prints directly from there.

Personally I'm a big fan of photography.

[rattran]

I'll second the Michael Parkes reccy, I have one of his lithos on the wall by the bed. Great use of color and surrealism = good.

[edit] spelling HARD

[Jobu]

I can't stand Michael Parks. He has a fantastic, classical technique mired in the same composition over and over and over and over and over. He found one painting that sold well, and then kept painting it. But whatever.

[Lantyssa]

I'd only want one painting for my wall, so I'd just have to pick the one of his I liked best.  It's not like I was opening a Michael Parks' gallery.

[Abagadro]

If you want to go more pop-arty then I like this guy's stuff. He's a local and nice fellow.

http://www.weirdchiefpopart.com/

[schild]

If someone "donated" this to f13, I would not be offended. Hur.

[apocrypha]

Seems a bit pointless arguing about what art to have on your walls. Art is so personal. I think kind of the point is that we all like different things.

I really want to get more art on our walls, just keep not getting round to it! Atm we've got a Matisse, a Klee and a Klimt (which I don't really like but it's my gfs, so) and 100's of photographs. Oh and a Mucha upstairs, kinda nice, needs something else to offset the twee imo. I really want some Miro, Keith Haring, Rothko, Sean Scully, Picasso. I'd like a Rembrandt (awesome lighting), some Van Gogh, I'd definitely go for a Pollock but it'd have to be fucking huge to work and it's really hard to find (and frame, heh) them big enough. Would love some non-Western art too!

I could happily spend 1000's on just posters and then not have enough wall space to put them all on 

[Yoru]

Does anyone have wall-decor tips for us poor nomadic souls? I tend to move around a lot - usually once a year to year-and-a-half, occasionally short-range, usually long-range, and transcontinental isn't unheard of. Framed art's expensive to ship properly, and there's always the risk of losing something great due to shipping damages.

Also, since I tend to rent, I'm usually loathe to punch holes into my walls. Any solutions there?

[apocrypha]

Cheap posters and blu-tac? Fabric wall hangings? A few pots of paint and a cavalier attitude towards rental deposits? 

[Merusk]

What he said.  Just get some cheap posters and those cheap, mildly tacky plastic frames that run $19-$30 depending on the size.  You won't care if you lose them and you'll have things up on your walls.  Yeah, it'll look like a college dorm but it's better than nothing.   Most apartments I lived in also didn't care if you painted the walls, so long as they were white again when you left.

[Lantyssa]

Does anyone have wall-decor tips for us poor nomadic souls? I tend to move around a lot - usually once a year to year-and-a-half, occasionally short-range, usually long-range, and transcontinental isn't unheard of. Framed art's expensive to ship properly, and there's always the risk of losing something great due to shipping damages.

Is it transcontinental if you're not really on a continent but an island in the middle of the ocean?