Behind the Scenes: Graphic Art Mount

For years, Sydney’s Graphic Art Mount have set the standard for Australian fine art mounting, framing and exhibition display. Here we find that the secrets to their longevity go far beyond talent and dedication to their craft.

Framing an artwork properly is no straightforward task. To strike a balance between the aesthetic wishes of an artist and the imperative of protecting their creation requires trust, and a nuanced understanding of the depth and breadth of artistic production itself. These can only be formed over years of experience.

Photograph: Sebastian Henry-Jones

Since opening in 1997, Tugi and Dianna Balog of Graphic Art Mount have built a reputation for themselves as one of the best in the business; counting public institutions, eminent galleries, Biennales, and high-profile artists and collectors among their clientele. The workshop – located in Sydney’s Inner West – excels in custom mounting, framing and exhibition display; of photographic prints, paintings, works on paper and any object in between. Many of these services have been refined over time by consulting with artists, conservators, suppliers and industry leaders regarding the needs of artists, their creations, and the changing requirements of the spaces in which these are displayed. Accordingly, the Graphic Art Mount studio provides its skilled staff with the materials, resources, knowledge and support necessary to work to a consistently high standard, operating with creativity and innovation at the forefront of their minds.

While trends in artmaking and exhibition display continue to change, Tugi notes the marked improvement in universal standards of art conservation, framing, transportation and storage, since he first started out in his garage. Notably, many private and commercial enterprises now endeavour to work to the same high standards as publicly funded museums and institutions. Graphic Art Mount’s attitude towards learning as an everlasting process, and a commitment to updating their methods in accordance with evolving standards, means they have remained sensitive to new developments.

Photograph: Sebastian Henry-Jones

As important as maintaining excellent standards, an emphasis on fostering long-lasting relationships forms the core of Graphic Art Mount’s holistic approach to business. Word of mouth remains the principal way they grow their client base. Even now, most come to the workshop as they have used their services previously, or have been referred by someone in the industry. These relationships are reflected in the business’s internal structure and dedicated presence in the neighbourhood – until this year, the employee who had worked at Graphic Art Mount for the least amount of time had been there for eight years, with several engaged for over 15. Residents in the area fondly remember the May Lane project facilitated by Tugi, which for years provided young street artists with a local supportive scene, the materials, time and space required to hone their craft on the exterior of the workshop. The project eventually attracted guests from all over the world, culminating in a national touring exhibition in partnership with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. It is this accountability to, and involvement with the artistic community itself, that informs the spirit of possibility and individual responsibility pervading everything Graphic Art Mount does. As such, it serves as a model for all artistic enterprises hoping to operate according to the values they wish to see enshrined in society.

When asked to list some highlights from the last 20 or so years Dianna answers simply, sighting the privileged opportunity she occupies as a witness to the development of countless artists, from graduation along the trajectory of their career: ‘It’s an honour to work with artists who put their trust in us… to be able to help them realise a particular vision of the way their work is displayed.’ This honest care and dedication to the interests of artists at every stage of production is rare, and will ensure that Graphic Art Mount stays firmly in the picture for years to come.

 

Sebastian Henry-Jones is an emerging curator living on unceded Gadigal land. Led by an interest in DIY thinking, he looks to centre the ideas and requirements of those that he works with, and so his practice is informed by striving for a personal ethics with sincerity, generosity, honest communication and learning at its core.

 

Graphic Art Mount
9 May Street, St Peters
New South Wales

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