Whimsy

Santiago Calatrava designed the World Trade Center Transportation Hub — better s the Oculus, opened in 2016 — as a spine of white steel ribs 365 feet long, its roofline opening to the sky on the anniversary of September 11. In daylight the building reads as an enormous white wing laid over the transit concourse; at night it turns inside out, the ribs illuminated from within, the structure becoming a source of light rather than a receiver of it. Shot at night, the image holds the full tonal range of the scene — the deep shadows between the structural ribs and the near-white of the illuminated surfaces — in a way that a single exposure cannot, and what emerges is not an architecture photograph but something closer to an image of light organized by architecture. Calatrava has built transit spaces on several continents, but none with the particular weight of history that this site carries, and the night image holds that gravity: a beautiful structure in a place that earned beauty at a cost.

There is another image in pour portfolio conveying the weight and the lightness of the edifice. This image is about the humanization of the structure. The sculpture garden that is adjacent to and part of the Oculus contains a number of fantastical animal sculptures all engaged in a variety of human endeavors. They remind us of the importance of delight, even in the midst of awful remembrance.

There are so many ways to print an image, so many papers and inks, and thousands of ways to frame or mount it. How does one choose? We've tried to simplify this process, by offering the types of prints, frames, and mountings that we use and love in our own home, and that we know complement our artwork.

Here is a short guide to the formats we offer:

Acrylic Block Gift Box

A small display piece — usually 4×6 or 8×8 inches. Whitewall's method is what makes this worth offering: the image is printed on archival paper first, then bonded to the acrylic. Many competitors print directly to acrylic, which compromises color reproduction and longevity. Our version keeps the brilliance and dimensional quality of a full acrylic presentation at a size and price that make it right for gifting or for a small dedicated space. Ships in a gift box. Available for images with native 1:1, 3:2, or 4:3 aspect ratios; for wider panoramas or unusual crops, see the other formats or request a custom quote. We have other printing houses for acrylic block in non-standard sizes.

Fine Art Bonded Acrylic

This is our premier print format. Pigment inkjet on Hahnemühle fine art paper, laminated behind glossy acrylic glass on an Alu-Dibond backing, in a brushed silver slimline case. The pigment inkjet process holds the widest color spectrum and the finest tonal gradation of any medium we offer, and the paper is archival for generations. To achieve the best longevity, the printed image is sealed behind acrylic glass with permanently elastic silicone. The sophisticated technology ensures perfect results for images of any size and also makes it possible to create impressive large formats up to 115 x 70 inches (290 x 180 cm) as seamless photo prints.This is our preferred gallery presentation, and we make it available in a variety of matted and unmatted with slimline frames of various tones, depending on the image itself. We love how the slimline case creates a sense of elegance, while staying out of the way of the print, which projects forward from the case. All Bonded Acrylic prints are mounted beneath museum matte acrylic to minimize reflections in almost all lighting conditions while accentuating the tones and depth opf the image.

Passe-Partout, Black or White

Baryta paper — the silver-tone paper fine art black-and-white printing has used for eighty years — mounted in a double-mat passe-partout framing behind museum glass. Available with a black frame or a white frame; the paper and mat treatment are identical, only the frame color differs. Black frames read more contemporary and architectural; white frames read more traditional and gallery-quiet. Available for any image, though the treatment reads most naturally on monochrome work.

Textile Print

A pigment print on woven textile, wrapped on a wooden stretcher frame with mirror-edge treatment on the sides. Different from standard canvas: the surface is finer, the print holds detail better, the presentation is more sophisticated. Lightweight compared to acrylic or paper-under-acrylic, easier to hang, and the price point stays accessible while still feeling serious. Best for larger sizes and rooms where reduced weight and reflection matter.

Giclée on Alu-Dibond

For those who want to select their own framing and/or glass cover. A giclée fine art print on Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl paper, mounted on Alu-Dibond backing, no glass, no frame. The paper texture is visible; there are no reflections; the print itself is what the viewer sees. This is what a curated gallery show hangs. Best for viewers who want the print to speak without any surface between it and them. It's also for someone who wants to have their print custom framed with specific glass.

Not seeing what you want?

We understand that every living space is unique, and every person has their own tastes. So, if what we offer as our standard array is not exactly what you want, we recommend you reach out to us and let us know what interests you. We can guide you through the vast WhiteWall selection process and prepare a custom quote for you. If you have a specific medium, size, or presentation in mind that isn't listed here, please request a custom quote — we can work directly with Whitewall's full catalog to build a piece to your specifications.

Whimsy

From the Structures Gallery

From the Journal

Customer Reviews