Woodstock Ticket

Wow, I've realized how hard it is to keep up with blogs!! It's funny too, because if you know me personally, you know I love to talk and one of my favorite things to talk about is my business. Yet when I have to sit down and type it out... well... as Paulie from Donnie Brasco says: "forget about it".

So it's time to quit procrastinating and get down to typing....

This blog is about a mistake I made in the design process. They say you learn from your mistakes. I did. This blog is about that. It worked out great too. Anyway, I don't want to kill the surprise. So here you go:

This blog is about an original, unused Woodstock ticket and accompanying newspaper article that was recently brought into my store. The client told me that the ticket had belonged to his mother. The first thing I thought was how disappointed his mother must have been for missing the event! But that thought quickly lead to other thoughts about 1969...the style of the 60's, and Woodstock in general. Did you know Jimmy Hendrix was playing at Woodstock? Wow...I have a friend named Jimmy Hendrix... he's cool... no wait... not cool, but groovy... yea... and the ticket's groovy... psychedelic man... psychedelic posters and patterns... flower child...

Sorry...I must have A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder)! My wife says it's a bad thing, but I find it helps when getting creative about a project! My mind wandered about this ticket and how to really show it off, while the customer must have thought I was on something from the 60's. That is, until I started sharing my thoughts...

This customer was concerned with preserving the ticket. He was framing for preservation as a first priority, but also to display it. I suggested doing both, but to make the display a piece of psychedelic art in itself! My first sketch went something like this:


I explained that the groovy pattern would be cut out in one matboard, while using inserts of other mat colors to make up the petals of the flower and other shapes. To make this design really work well, I suggested at least three matboard colors in total.

I could tell the client was trusting me with the design aspects. I knew his primary concern was to preserve the ticket and article. I was also aware of my client's budget for this project. He was trusting me with putting the whole thing together provided my design fit his first two priorities.

The client and I looked up 60's posters on the internet. The client selected three matboard colors that were popular for the time and I went to work. I don't know what happened next. I was measuring and re-measuring the newspaper article as I designed the layout for the ticket. I couldn't help but think that my original design was a mistake. I thought of my client's personal style. While the flowery wavy pattern fit in with the images of the 60's and the ticket itself, it just didn't fit with how the client described his personal style. I was so captivated in doing something original, I completely ignored the obvious. But how do I change this now without costing myself? I immediately thought of my mission statement: "At Corners, you will never hear "business is business" simply because our "business" is you." (www.CornersCustomPictureFraming.com). I made an executive decision to put the customer first, scrap the original design, and start over.

It was not the best business decision, I'm sure! Imagine if you ordered a taco but the waiter brought you a sandwich instead saying "I thought this fit your taste better". I can imagine my clients expression as he received this phone-call: "Um (NAME)....this is Brian from Corners Custom Picture Framing...I'm...um...almost finished with your framing but...um...I need you to come in and look at it - to make sure you like it...um...I changed the design and I'd like to get your opinion before I cut the frame...anyway...uh...thanks.". Yea, not very professional. But hey, people don't pay me for my phone call etiquette, but rather, my creativity and quality in the framing department! Here is what I showed the client:


Fortunately he loved it!

In regards to preservation or conservation, both the matboards and backing of this piece use MicroChamber® technology to absorb acidic gasses that eventually would breadown or destroy the ticket and the newspaper article. The glass used on this project is Conservation Clear with a 99% UV protective film on the inside of the glass to prevent fading from sunlight or florescent light. The ticket and newspaper have both been treated with a de-acidifying chemical to further neutralize acidic gasses within the frame. The ticket is float mounted to matboard using acetate corners (if you look closely you will see them).


This means no adhesives were used on the ticket at all - it is completely removable. Finally, the inside of the frame (or frame rabbet) was lined with a polyester tape with acrylic adhesives to prevent acid in the wood from transferring inside the frame to the artwork. The finished project could be compared to encasing the items within a protective cotton box.

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