The Need For Context
The importance of context in comics was made clear to me, in a frustrating manner, during today's exhibit at the Wellin museum. My knowledge of the context of the comic I was viewing was the sole factor in my ability to enjoy the piece: if I had no knowledge of the historical context of the specific comic I was viewing, I found myself quickly getting frustrated with trying to interpret the meaning and would move on the next work.
While I was aware of my frustration and my inability to fully enjoy some of the comics, I came to the realization that it was my lack of context that was driving my madness after speaking with one of Museum's attendants. While looking at Thomas Rowlandson's series of Dr. Syntax comics, I decided to ask the nearby curator about Rowlandson and what she knew about what he meant to convey through Dr. Syntax. After she explained to me that it was a commentary on a British social phenomenon, I instantly went from a state of frustration to joy having gained a newfound appreciation for the pieces, and ended up spending the majority of my time during the exhibit studying Rowlandson's comics. Later, while looking through Nast's highly political set of comics, it occurred to me that my lack of knowledge on what he was commentating on was what was holding me back from truly enjoying his work.
This brought me to the general realization that comics are almost entirely dependent on historical context. Without knowledge of the racial tensions in the United States during Jackie Ormes' time, how would the reader be able to understand the significance of many of the Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger and Torchy Brown comics?
Great post! I completely agree that this trip to the Wellin was a real eye-opener. I, too, often found myself frustrated at the inability to relate to many of the works we were given to examine, particularly Nast's Now Begins the Rub. I'm sure if I knew why there was an old man with a baby's body lying in a bucket grasping a piece of soap with a presumably political message inscribed on it, I would have some sort of emotional reaction. As is, I was left not knowing whether I should find the image comical or disturbing. I think this is more so the case with social and political commentary than it has been with the type of graphic narratives we looked at earlier in the year, but even in stories like Krazy Kat we can miss important allusions to cultural phenomena and social problems (such as racism) if we don't understand the political and social climate from which the comic comes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that knowing the context can really change how you look at and understand the comics. I also found myself frustrated when I would look at some of the editorials and not understand their meaning especially when things would be clearly labeled. There are many schools of thought, especially for literature, that believe researching outside information about a piece hurts the purity of your understanding. But, for me at the Wellin, I saw very clearly how these editorials forced you to use prior knowledge to understand them and how without the prior knowledge their significance in some ways came up short.
ReplyDeleteLuis, I definitely agree with you about how frustration lack of context could be. I found this to be especially true of the European comics which dealt in broader social commentary and, obviously, did so in languages that I don't speak. I don't, however, believe that a lack of context kept me from appreciating the art. Though I may not have fully understood the milieu in which Nast or the other artists worked, the artwork does not cease to be impressive. Also, I definitely found it easier to decipher the American cartoons. Nast, it seems, was more interested in individual targets than were the French or British artists.
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