When “Defective” Becomes Frame Design

At Underglass Custom Picture Framing, we’ve spent 40 years in San Francisco’s Castro District turning framing into both craft and conversation. Some projects lean into elegance and tradition, while others invite us to push boundaries. This archival print by Montréal artist @raymondbiesinger—from his print of “defective flags”—was one of those opportunities.

To echo the theme of imperfection-as-design, we custom-built a frame from two different hardwoods: oak and maple. When the corners meet, they look deliberately mismatched, as though the frame itself has a “flaw.” But the effect is intentional, subtle, and witty—just like the artwork.

Beyond aesthetics, framing is also about care. Since this was printed on archival paper, we used museum-quality techniques throughout: hidden spacers to ensure the artwork never touches the glass, and museum glass with top-tier UV filtering to protect it from fading. These small details ensure that even when design pushes playful boundaries, preservation remains uncompromising.

This project is a reminder of why framing matters: it’s not just about housing a piece of art, but about creating a dialogue between object, idea, and presentation. For 40 years, Underglass has been framing everything from street posters to heirlooms with that same balance of conservation framing expertise and design sensitivity.

Check out Raymond Biesinger’s art here: https://www.fifteen.ca/products/defective-flags-print