Embedded Files
The Cultural Frame looks at the context of artworks and the situation in which it was created. By looking at the cultural aspects of an artwork we can discover the social elements that are coded into the work, such as; racial stereotypes or society's perspective on women. Due to this, the frame can be a very useful tool for decoding the meaning of a work and discovering an artist's point of view.
Key Terms
Key Terms
Time: Period in history. Connected to events.
Place: Where in the world the artwork was created and where it was set.
Culture: Traditions and practices of particular people.
Race: The variety of ethnicities of people from around the world.
Gender: Male, female or non-binary.
Religion: Beliefs relating to God(s) and spirituality.
Status: A person's position or role within society.
Class: Social standing, usually inherited through family (lower class, upper class).
Politics: Matters of government or rulers of a society.
Here are some questions for the Cultural Frame
- What time and place is being represented?
- Who is in the artwork and what is their gender, status, race?
- What aspects of religion, spirituality are being represented in the work?
- Is it a political artwork? Does it represent authority or defiance, order or anarchy, propaganda or protest?
- What significant events are shown?
- When and where was it created? What impact does this have on the work?
- What does the artist have in common with this work- same culture, gender, class…?
- Why was the artwork made- was it commissioned, for a competition, in protest?
- What would the work mean to the audience at the time when it was made?
- How does the work connect with us in our time?
- Who holds the power in this work?
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