Tree/London 1951

Editor: So here we have Robert Frank's "Tree/London," a gelatin silver print from 1951. The overall feeling is of a damp, muted morning. I'm struck by the lone figure walking through what appears to be a park, shrouded in fog. What’s your take on it? Curator: Considering the production, we have to look at what gelatin silver printing afforded Frank. It's a relatively accessible and reproducible medium, think of the social implications. Unlike platinum prints or even more involved processes, this points to a wider intended audience. This process, along with its ready-made look, rejects the Pictorialist approach that valued manipulation for aesthetic beauty over the recording of daily life. What’s the consequence of using this accessible means of production? Editor: I hadn't thought of it in terms of accessibility before. So, the material itself is making a statement, favoring something ordinary over being overly precious? Curator: Precisely. Frank is deliberately embracing the 'everyday.' How does the content challenge traditional class boundaries and challenge the conventions and aesthetics of "high" art? Who is usually represented in photographs? How are they represented? The act of choosing this technology impacts how, and who, gets represented. It's important to ask what the social function is for this piece of work. Editor: That frames it in a new light. It’s more than just a scene, it’s making a subtle comment about representation and class, embedded in its material choices. Curator: Exactly! Examining the production – the "how" – opens up the possibility of this "common" reading, no? Editor: It does. I see a lot more going on here than I initially realized. I think I'll spend some time researching Gelatin prints. Curator: Consider what else the chosen medium can offer you as an insight.