Hanging Art With The Frame TV

It can be found in galleries and shops, museums and attics, yes. It can also be found in textiles, in the pages of vintage books, on your own scratch paper, in your camera roll. Art, two dimensions that miraculously capture three, somehow descriptions of us, hanging there on the wall.

Or maybe hanging on the front of the bookcase.

I often think about nature and how she does things. Mountains, layered. Hills, layered. Trees, bushes, shrubs, grasses, ground cover, mosses, layered. Water, layered as it falls down a canyon. Even a lake, which seems flat, has layers of color, layers of movement. Rarely, if ever, is something in complete isolation. Everywhere we look, nature herself has written about connection, collaboration, community, layers. What a wonder.

So the front of a bookcase? It is, indeed, a place to hang art. Layers. Lacking wall space or not, it’s a hidden opportunity right there in plain sight. Imagine that.

Truth be told, my family wasn’t too sure about this idea. In fact, it was quite the curve ball. They said it was the strangest thing they’d ever heard (family members can be the toughest clients). So, I showed them how to see it. Showed them photos of the concept (here, here, here, here, here), described to them the idea and the mechanics behind it, made a mock-up.

We hung the art.

This art? I have to tell you, there’s a little something behind it. Or maybe I should say, in it. This print by artist Yun-Kyung Jeong, float-matted and framed in walnut, is also a flush mount TV. Specifically, The Frame TV by Samsung*, with speakers and connections to wifi and satellite with 4K UHD (which means rich color and tack sharp image), operated by the slimmest, simplest remote control I’ve seen.

In other words, it’s a technical dream machine for those in the house who love to watch the NFL and NBA (or period dramas, wink) from what feels like front row seats.

It’s “brain” is a separate box (hidden behind the grey curtain on the right) into which plug the power cord and satellite cable. The One Connect box is connected to the back of the TV by a single, thin, clear cord. The television comes with an impressively engineered bracket that uses a cleat and magnet mechanism for keeping it straight and secure. When the unit senses daylight or movement in the room, the screen displays the currently selected artwork (you can also program it to show artwork at certain hours). You can choose from a collection of paintings, drawings, or photographs of preloaded art. You can also purchase art online, or upload your own. Select your choice of mat style and color, and there you go. The walnut frame (also available in maple and white) is a mitered corner bezel that magnetically snaps onto the four edges of the TV.

We’ve always preferred to not have a TV screen be the main focus in our living area, choosing instead to have the focus on conversation and connection with each other. This has been good, and healthy, and not regretted, except for those times when we actually want a TV screen to be the main focus. Watch a movie together? Catch the exciting game scheduled for the evening? Watch a movie by yourself with earbuds via bluetooth after everyone else has gone to bed? Yes! Here we are.

For all other times, there’s art.

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If you’d like help in creating a soulful home, I’d love to work with you. Email me: carmella@carmellarayone.com