2. Inclusion through exclusion
A frame is a curation and construction of narrative. When we frame an artwork or photo and put it on the wall, something interesting has happened. Regardless of whether the picture is a lovely panorama of a meadow during a sunset, a happy family portrait or a pseudo rustic "live laugh love" home decoration: a decision has been made. The action of framing something and putting it on display, must be regarded as exactly that: an action. To frame something, a selection of the information to present, (and equally important: the information not to present), must be made. Through inclusion, and inadvertently exclusion, a narrative is created. Whether intended or not.
In photography, the term framing also applies to the contents of the photograph itself. The way the photo is cropped, which subjects are visible, which subjects aren't, and so on. Besides being used to create compositional strength, this can completely change the story of the image (fig. 5).
This can also be seen on image based social media platforms like Instagram. Everything we share on such platforms is heavily curated. This is true regardless of the subject matter. Whether it is a perfect influencer-lifestyle-food-post, an artist’s portfolio, or a purposefully ugly finsta2 selfie. This (fictional) digital representation of ourselves only shows others what we allow it to show others. We can learn a lot about the way the author wants to be perceived by looking at their curatorial choices.
Framing may also refer to a term used in criminal law when an innocent person is "framed" for a crime they did not commit. This may occur through fabricating or planting evidence. In this example, a false narrative is created through the presence or absence of proof for a crime. American Comedian Dave Chapelle has a joke that perfectly explains framing in this context, while also commenting on the issue of racial profiling of African Americans by the police. He explains that as a black man he was afraid to call the police when his house got broken into. The police would probably think that he was the burglar and not the owner. He pretends to be the policeman, knocks himself unconscious and says: "Apparently this man broke in and hung-up pictures of his family everywhere, well... let's sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here."3.
2. Inclusion through exclusion
A frame is a curation and construction of narrative. When we frame an artwork or photo and put it on the wall, something interesting has happened. Regardless of whether the picture is a lovely panorama of a meadow during a sunset, a happy family portrait or a pseudo rustic "live laugh love" home decoration: a decision has been made. The action of framing something and putting it on display, must be regarded as exactly that: an action. To frame something, a selection of the information to present, (and equally important: the information not to present), must be made. Through inclusion, and inadvertently exclusion, a narrative is created. Whether intended or not.
In photography, the term framing also applies to the contents of the photograph itself. The way the photo is cropped, which subjects are visible, which subjects aren't, and so on. Besides being used to create compositional strength, this can completely change the story of the image (fig. 5).
This can also be seen on image based social media platforms like Instagram. Everything we share on such platforms is heavily curated. This is true regardless of the subject matter. Whether it is a perfect influencer-lifestyle-food-post, an artist’s portfolio, or a purposefully ugly finsta2 selfie. This (fictional) digital representation of ourselves only shows others what we allow it to show others. We can learn a lot about the way the author wants to be perceived by looking at their curatorial choices.
Framing may also refer to a term used in criminal law when an innocent person is "framed" for a crime they did not commit. This may occur through fabricating or planting evidence. In this example, a false narrative is created through the presence or absence of proof for a crime. American Comedian Dave Chapelle has a joke that perfectly explains framing in this context, while also commenting on the issue of racial profiling of African Americans by the police. He explains that as a black man he was afraid to call the police when his house got broken into. The police would probably think that he was the burglar and not the owner. He pretends to be the policeman, knocks himself unconscious and says: "Apparently this man broke in and hung-up pictures of his family everywhere, well... let's sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here."3.
2. Inclusion through exclusion
A frame is a curation and construction of narrative. When we frame an artwork or photo and put it on the wall, something interesting has happened. Regardless of whether the picture is a lovely panorama of a meadow during a sunset, a happy family portrait or a pseudo rustic "live laugh love" home decoration: a decision has been made. The action of framing something and putting it on display, must be regarded as exactly that: an action. To frame something, a selection of the information to present, (and equally important: the information not to present), must be made. Through inclusion, and inadvertently exclusion, a narrative is created. Whether intended or not.
In photography, the term framing also applies to the contents of the photograph itself. The way the photo is cropped, which subjects are visible, which subjects aren't, and so on. Besides being used to create compositional strength, this can completely change the story of the image (fig. 5).
This can also be seen on image based social media platforms like Instagram. Everything we share on such platforms is heavily curated. This is true regardless of the subject matter. Whether it is a perfect influencer-lifestyle-food-post, an artist’s portfolio, or a purposefully ugly finsta2 selfie. This (fictional) digital representation of ourselves only shows others what we allow it to show others. We can learn a lot about the way the author wants to be perceived by looking at their curatorial choices.
Framing may also refer to a term used in criminal law when an innocent person is "framed" for a crime they did not commit. This may occur through fabricating or planting evidence. In this example, a false narrative is created through the presence or absence of proof for a crime. American Comedian Dave Chapelle has a joke that perfectly explains framing in this context, while also commenting on the issue of racial profiling of African Americans by the police. He explains that as a black man he was afraid to call the police when his house got broken into. The police would probably think that he was the burglar and not the owner. He pretends to be the policeman, knocks himself unconscious and says: "Apparently this man broke in and hung-up pictures of his family everywhere, well... let's sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here."3.
rantmonster2319, “Finsta,” in Urban Dictionary, June 16, 2016↩︎
Dave Chapelle: Killin’ Them Softly, 2000.↩︎
2. Inclusion through exclusion
A frame is a curation and construction of narrative. When we frame an artwork or photo and put it on the wall, something interesting has happened. Regardless of whether the picture is a lovely panorama of a meadow during a sunset, a happy family portrait or a pseudo rustic "live laugh love" home decoration: a decision has been made. The action of framing something and putting it on display, must be regarded as exactly that: an action. To frame something, a selection of the information to present, (and equally important: the information not to present), must be made. Through inclusion, and inadvertently exclusion, a narrative is created. Whether intended or not.
In photography, the term framing also applies to the contents of the photograph itself. The way the photo is cropped, which subjects are visible, which subjects aren't, and so on. Besides being used to create compositional strength, this can completely change the story of the image (fig. 5).
This can also be seen on image based social media platforms like Instagram. Everything we share on such platforms is heavily curated. This is true regardless of the subject matter. Whether it is a perfect influencer-lifestyle-food-post, an artist’s portfolio, or a purposefully ugly finsta2 selfie. This (fictional) digital representation of ourselves only shows others what we allow it to show others. We can learn a lot about the way the author wants to be perceived by looking at their curatorial choices.
Framing may also refer to a term used in criminal law when an innocent person is "framed" for a crime they did not commit. This may occur through fabricating or planting evidence. In this example, a false narrative is created through the presence or absence of proof for a crime. American Comedian Dave Chapelle has a joke that perfectly explains framing in this context, while also commenting on the issue of racial profiling of African Americans by the police. He explains that as a black man he was afraid to call the police when his house got broken into. The police would probably think that he was the burglar and not the owner. He pretends to be the policeman, knocks himself unconscious and says: "Apparently this man broke in and hung-up pictures of his family everywhere, well... let's sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here."3.
rantmonster2319, “Finsta,” in Urban Dictionary, June 16, 2016↩︎
Dave Chapelle: Killin’ Them Softly, 2000.↩︎