Hearn's--New York City no number 1955

Robert Frank’s photographic film strip, taken in New York City, captures a scene of commerce and humanity. The repetition of faces and goods suggests a cyclical nature, an almost ritualistic act of transaction. The ‘fashion table’ sign, a prominent motif, echoes the ancient human desire for adornment and status, much like the draped fabrics in Renaissance portraits that speak of wealth and cultural identity. This pursuit of fashion is a thread that connects us across time. Think, for example, how the folds of a Madonna's robes in a medieval painting might mirror the pleats in a modern dress, both serving to elevate and idealize the subject. Frank subtly comments on the emotional undercurrents of consumer culture, capturing the silent hopes and desires embedded in each transaction. The cyclical nature of production and consumption, with the "fashion table" as a recurring symbol, invites us to reflect on the ways we engage with material culture and how it shapes our identities, and how these patterns echo throughout history.