Note
Collecting and context
Context changes how an object is understood, while careful looking keeps research grounded.
Collecting is partly an encounter with objects and partly an encounter with context. Attribution, condition, provenance, and the language of a catalogue alter what can be seen—even before they alter what can be known.
Research does not replace looking. It can deepen the encounter by preserving uncertainty, making connections, and distinguishing evidence from repetition. The most useful context returns attention to the object rather than competing with it.