Sketches from Michele Trenti's essays

Frames of Reference

Appunti di Michele Trenti

For a musician, there are two methods to approaching a more in-depth study of his subject. One way is to delve ever deeper into a precise and increasingly greater understanding of its meaning in the context of the frame of reference in which it is being discussed. The other is to work towards expanding the frame of reference itself into every detail is placed which can give new meaning to that detail. To have an idea of this concept, let us think about the zoom mechanism in photography. In one direction, it permits a more amplified view of the detail and a better understanding of the meaning "from within". In the other direction, it allows an examination of the context in which the individual components are placed, thus allowing their overall meaning to be understood. The two processes are both necessary and complementary. Lacking one or the other, the artist's approach remains limited and barren. We can also observe that women generally are more predisposed towards studying details in depth, while men are more apt to change the frame of reference.