Two major solo exhibitions in Vienna currently present the work of Franz West. Among the numerous framed drawings and collages on display at Albertina Modern and the Wien Museum are several remarkable artist's frames. Yet only eleven are explicitly identified as such.
On one densely hung picture wall comprising 28 works, just four frames carry this designation, although many others display similar designs and surface treatments. For visitors, distinguishing between frames worked on by West himself, studio-produced frames and other framings is virtually impossible on the basis of appearance alone.
Franz West, picture wall comprising 28 works, Albertina Modern, Vienna, 2026 – only four frames are explicitly identified as artist's frames.
The frames identified as artist's frames display remarkably different approaches. They range from simple wooden constructions roughly covered in paint, with visible nailed joints and crooked, sometimes protruding members, to sculpturally treated surfaces with irregular contours and exposed fabric structures. The mounting boards supporting the artworks have also been covered with textured paint, integrating them into the design of the frames.
Franz West, Unter einem Regenschirm und Ratte, 1982, gouache and ballpoint pen on magazine page, artist's frame, WAM, on permanent loan from Ph. Konzett, Vienna
Franz West, Ohne Titel, 1981, artist's frame with a textured white finish and partially exposed fabric structure, Hall Collection
Particularly interesting is a frame from 1982 that refers to framing styles commonly found in Vienna around 1900. While the historical models were often made of polished hardwood with corner ornaments and applied brass inlays, West translates these decorative elements into a roughly applied white finish. The upper corner ornaments are merely suggested, while the raised brass inlays of the historical models are replaced by recessed grooves – effectively their negative counterparts.
Franz West, Symbole der Unsittlichkeit Wandel, 1982, mixed media on paper, artist's frame, Courtesy Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich / Vienna
Detail of the artist's frame with recessed grooves – the negative counterparts of raised brass ornaments found on historical frames
A particular category consists of West's tray-shaped frames. The works are mounted within sculpturally formed, recessed frame constructions. As conventional glazing would not be possible, they are presented in acrylic display cases. Remarkably, only one of the numerous examples on display is explicitly identified as an artist's frame.
Franz West, Bei Oswald & Kalb, 1983, watercolour, photographs and newspaper clippings on plaster and cardboard, artist's frame, WAM, on permanent loan from Ph. Konzett, Vienna
During the two exhibitions, Franz West's former Vienna studio is also open to visitors. Here, another characteristically treated white frame can be seen surrounding a work by West, against a wall designed by Songül Boyraz and Tamuna Sirbiladze.
Franz West's former studio, Vienna, with the wall design by Songül Boyraz and Tamuna Sirbiladze, Untitled, 2000. In the centre: Franz West, Frühlingserwachen / Frühlingsorakel, 1996. Whether West himself worked on the white frame could not be confirmed.