Often an artist will cut a frame [or window in a piece of paper or board] through which to observe relationships and determine a composition.
R E F E R E N C E S
Frame of Reference. All elements of design normally exist within a [determined] boundary which we call a "frame of reference." This marks the outer limits of a design and defines an area within which the created elements and left-over blank space, if any, all work together. The frame of reference is not necessarily an actual frame. If it is, then the frame should be considered as an integral part of the design. The visual elements of the visible frame should not be overlooked. If there is no actual frame, the edges of a poster, the page of a magazine, the various surfaces of a package all become frames of references for the respective designs.
The frame of refence of a design can be of any shape, though it is usually rectangular. The die-cut shape of a printed sheet is the frame of reference of the design that is contained in it.
[Wong, Wucius. Principals of Two-Dimensional Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1972.]
R E F E R E N C E S
Frame of Reference [1897] 1: an arbitrary set of axes with reference to which the position or motion of something is described or physical laws are formulated 2: a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, or undestood [a Marxian frame of reference]
[Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition. Springfield, MA, USA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1995.]
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