Holding it Together on a Diptych, Triptych, or Modular Painting

On the Edge

©1991 Katherine Kean

oil on two canvases

42  x 12"

A diptych in art consists of any two panels presented side by side. Traditionally these two pieces would be hinged together. In contemporary art it's not uncommon to see the panels simply hanging side by side, sometimes with a bit of space between. A triptych is made up of three panels, side by side by side.

When there are panels placed one above the other, or in larger, more complex groupings, it is then called modular art. In some works, pieces can be added or removed, or rearranged, to create a new piece of artwork.

There is an advantage to modular work. The smaller sections that make up a large piece can be transported more easily than a single large painting.

When I'm working on a diptych, a triptych, or a modular piece I use C-Clampsto connect the panels. This way I can easily move around the multiple panels that make up one work as an entire unit, making it easy to take off the easel during drying time.

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