Artist Harry Gould Harvey IV and others are reclaiming the frame as an integral part of the artwork, using found wood and elaborate designs to embed narrative, memory, and place. Harvey, represented by P.P.O.W., began making frames from a fallen black walnut tree, while artists like Jenna Rothstein create ceramic frames with spiky thorns. The New Museum Los Gatos recently honored Holly Lane, a pioneer who milled Renaissance-style frames in the 1980s, challenging the minimalist norm.
This trend, dubbed "bordercore," marks a shift away from the understated frames that dominated galleries for over a century. Artists are using frames not just as borders but as sculptural, symbolic extensions of the work, offering a haptic rebuttal to the virtual age. The movement reconnects with historic processes and asserts the frame as a central character in contemporary art, influencing how works are presented at fairs and exhibitions.