The Art of Framing

One of the greatest lessons 20th-century American art has offered us is the concept of framing. By this, I mean the intentional act of drawing focus to something—a simple shift in context that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Consider Marcel Duchamp’s infamous Fountain, a urinal placed in a gallery. By isolating it in a blank white room, the artist demanded our attention. Suddenly, this mundane object became “art.” Why? Not because of what it was, but because of where and how it was presented. The context validated it, forcing viewers into a dialogue: Is this art? Does it deserve to be here? You couldn’t ignore it—it was the proverbial elephant in the room, impossible to overlook because it was designed to be noticed.

This “art of framing” is more than just clever trickery. It reflects something deeply human: our need to confront and express what feels too big or too awkward to go unspoken. Framing is what gives shape to our experiences, our thoughts, our stories. It’s the essence of art—calling attention to the overlooked and asking, “What do you see?”

So, let me ask you: what’s the elephant in your life? Maybe it’s not as literal as a toilet in a gallery (unless you’re still hung over and staring at one). But seriously—what’s that big, unavoidable thing you can’t stop thinking about? And how would you frame it?

This, in many ways, is the heart of creative expression: taking life’s chaos and arranging it in a way that makes sense—or at least invites a conversation. Framing is how we tell our stories, how we turn the mundane into the meaningful.

So, what’s your story? And how would you tell it?