The Art of Hanging Art
Sometimes through the process of relocating our elders it’s easy to forget about the importance of creativity and the role that art plays in our lives. It feels - and sometimes is - like a stream of nuts & bolts decisions that have to be made quickly and not always with our parent’s or loved one’s (or our own) unbridled enthusiasm. Moving to a new space, settling in, and starting over can leave even the most adaptable senior feeling a bit… askew. One way of bridging that gap between the familiar and the novel is to involve seniors in the art of making their new house a home: decorating the walls.
During the move, art is wrapped and cushioned, squirreled away in boxes and set carefully aside until what we think of as the home stretch: furniture placed and bare walls ready to be dressed. Including our clients in this finishing touch of the moving process can look like sticky notes on walls indicating picture placement, a well thought-out art blueprint, a general gesture with a “wherever you think it should go”, or a more hands-on collaboration. Everyone has their own relationship with their art, and it’s important to honor that.
When it comes to the actual hanging, everybody does it differently. Some wing it, eyeballing the space with a nail pursed between their lips and hammer shoved into their pocket. Others are a bit more methodical: tool belt, measuring tape, calculator and level at the ready. Both ways work, and - much like life - at times both require adjustments of the original plan or placement. Sometimes a piece doesn’t quite jive with the space it fills, or out of necessity and preservation requires a bit more protection. Sometimes the most unusual pairings end up making an otherwise-overlooked nook sing, and a playful collage can breathe new life into old familiar pieces.
Part of the joy of getting to know clients is to see their histories and interests on display. Walking into a space right away you get a feel for their personality: classic clean lines, eclectic-yet-treasured found objects, a life well documented, dreams of adventures yet to be had, beloved pieces that just make hearts sing. Art gives us a direct line into the visual stories of our lives, and is yet another way of making a new house into a comfortable home that really reflects its inhabitants.
