The introductory material for CAN begins by looking at issues of definition around the terms “context” and “narrative.” Context seems to be particularly broad as it encompasses not only the physical placement of an image but also possible intellectual/social settings. Narrative pertains more to the world inside the frame of an image or the coherence across a series of images. The definitions seem a little arbitrary, but they will serve as a kind of shorthand for the two sets of reference, inside and outside the frame.

Photographers are encouraged to keep context and narrative in mind as they create and display their work and this makes sense. At the same time, I can see some potential pitfalls: first, no artist can be fully aware of the narratives that might exist or be perceived within the frame of his or her work; second, artists may not have complete control over the context within which their work is displayed.

I think, then, that we will do well to bring a good level of awareness and mindfulness to our work—such as what is going in the art world and the broader society, as well as what sorts of codes or references we may be drawing on consciously or otherwise. But we must also resign ourselves to the fact that what we think we are putting into our work may not be what comes out of it for audiences…because of the complexities of context and narrative.

Reference

Boothroyd, Sharon (2017) ‘Introduction’ In: Context and Narrative. (s.l.): Open College of the Arts. pp.13–20.