Representation is as much about selecting subject matter, as it is about the way an artist chooses to frame that subject matter. Choosing to picture something gives an object or person importance. The way the subject matter is depicted reveals the artist’s thoughts and opinions about it. In this section, the way the subject is framed takes on heightened importance and becomes the real subject of the photograph or painting. Artists here highlight the way previous representations influence the way an image is “seen” and, therefore, interpreted. Employing conventions from abstract painting and street photography to racial stereotypes, these works highlight the process of looking.
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