Cemetery--Switzerland 15 1961

Robert Frank created this photographic work, "Cemetery--Switzerland 15," using gelatin silver, to capture a series of images on a single sheet. The composition is a grid of varying scenes, mostly of a cemetery. Frank's decision to present the images in a film strip format rather than as isolated prints alters how we view them. The grid arrangement invites a comparative analysis between the frames, and the visible edges of the film itself remind us of photography's inherent ability to fragment reality. The dark tones and high contrast create a somber mood, reflective of the setting. The repetition of shapes—upright headstones—creates a visual rhythm. This use of repetition and variation, seen throughout the sheet, engages with the structuralist idea that meaning arises from the relationships between elements within a system. It's a powerful statement on mortality, mediated through the lens of photographic form and structure.