Is there anything more irritating than a painting in a gallery that is not level or out of alignment? The human eye is capable of registering less than 2 millimeters of misalignment, especially on the vertical axis. Imagine hanging 80 pieces of art and trying to get that right across an entire gallery exhibition. Enter the hang men. The Welcome Swallow Gallery is blessed with the support and commitment of Michael and Russell Porritt whose skills and craft have graced many a home in the Waikato. Working together, the twin brothers in creating their own measurement algorithms, embody the supreme act of exhibition curation. Spatial judgement and aesthetic preferences mark the technical parameters of the critical skills of the hang men. 

Seen below are five photographs that demonstrate some of the aspects of how hanging takes place. Particular expertise was required since the exhibition featured here - Threads of Life - included flexible textures and tapestries that called for fine judgement in the face of variable sizes, shapes and subtle changes to composition form.