Evan Marshall

You walk into a room, see a painting, and feel it in your chest. You don’t know why—you just do. Maybe the colors speak to you. Maybe it reminds you of something you can’t quite name. Maybe you just can’t stop looking. And then someone asks:“What do you like about it?” That question can make even seasoned collectors freeze up. You might feel pressure to explain the artist’s technique, or say something impressive about composition, or throw in an art historical reference.

When I first started making art seriously, I painted whatever caught my interest in the moment—a landscape here, an abstract there, a still life for good measure. It was exciting, but I noticed something: the more scattered my work was, the harder it was to talk about it, to exhibit it, or to sell it. It wasn’t until I started working in series—focused bodies of work with a unifying idea or style—that things began to shift.

When most people think about displaying art, they think: find a blank wall, grab a hammer and a nail, hang it up. But abstract art invites us to break the rules. It’s bold, playful, emotional—so why not have a little fun with how we show it off? If you’re looking for creative, non-traditional ways to display your art collection, especially abstract pieces, here are some ideas to help you think beyond the standard frame-on-a-wall routine.