Point of view: framing, bias & perception

THE WORLD & OUR SENSES

Framing is a communication technique used to organize an experience from a vantage point, ideology or belief system. When a story is told there may be bias, or point of view, that expands or limits the essence of the tale.

Hard-bound, traditional textbook pages have held the themes of art scholars, philosophers and art critics long before the internet existed. Some texts show us colorful art from distant places done by people long gone. Others document the thoughts and works of artists who struggled to make sense of art during times of war, peace, famine or luxury. Still others offer the author’s own thoughts on why humans create or imitate nature, or the intrinsic value of art as expression. The sources may be organized by chronology, by artist, by region, by media or by theme. Most focus on the art of Europe, with influences from around the globe.

Texts such as E.H. Gombrich’s The Story of Art, 1950, Helen Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 1926, or Heinrich Woelfflin’s Principles of Art History, 1915, are but a few that have told the tale of art and creativity.

Although the art saga may have been told through earnest motivations, we saw, as art students, that the narrative of creative ventures was more vast than could be included in an edited, hard cover book. We respected the historical settings and the artists working within their specific situations. Yet, some of us did not see ourselves in the artists. It was hard to consider the art from our own perspectives or themes. We lacked methods for discussing the art beyond the essay exams. There was some context offered, yet it was difficult to trust the methods by which art was judged to be important. We knew there was more than what we saw in the text, but we had few ways beyond our local libraries to see art from around the world and learn about many diverse artists.

As we were still curious about the world we did not see, we searched beyond what was ‘framed’ for us.

FRAMING AN ISSUE OR AN EVENT : EXAMPLE : A fire has happened in a home in a small town.

1. One news article is framed from the point of view of the first responders and the emergency personnel. This article uses formal titles, the size and duration of the fire and the extent of the injuries of people involved. The underlying message is that the fire is regretfully a part of life in the town, but is now under control due to the expertise of trained personnel.

2. Another news article is framed from the point of view of the residents in the neighborhood. The interviews show startled neighbors who are emotionally affected by the fire, even if physically unharmed. The message relates to the human experience during an unexpected event. The reactions to the event stir sympathy in the viewers of the news article, possibly setting the stage for future fundraisers to help the owners of the burned house.

Consider how ‘framing’ causes us to consider different aspects of the same event.

Then think about how an artist would use this technique to help us see their point of view. Often, an artist will reveal a fresh outlook on the subject matter they are offering to us.

This causes our own outlook to change, which helps us to open our view of the world.

As we are all exposed to words and pictures daily, we must all look more closely at the images we see and the text that we read.

Who made them? When were they made? Under what circumstance? In what historical setting?

Questioning these aspects helps us comprehend life, creativiy and the art that springs from reactions to our existence.

When we all pay attention to how images and information are presented to us, we see different means of emphasis that extend from the sources, whether from the situation, the ownership or the authorship.

Being aware of framing, bias, point of view and our own perception gives us tools to help us form our own opinions about art and artists’ importance and hierarchy within the art community.

-

-

-