Pablo and old man--New York City 2 1958

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, Pablo and old man--New York City 2, in New York. Here we see a photographic contact sheet, it shows us the unedited, raw process of the artist. I love this piece because it's so process oriented; photography, like painting, is a medium with incredible capacity for editing, and Frank is showing us everything he chose not to show us. He exposes every frame. It reminds me of the way Guston would show his working process, every step and misstep. If you look at the lower portion of the sheet, you'll see the same face, the same person, captured over and over again. In each frame there is a different expression, a different emotion being portrayed. Even though we only see the face in profile, the texture and tonality of Frank's photography gives it all a kind of depth and emotional resonance. Much like life, art is an ongoing conversation.