Car accident—U.S. 66 between Winslow and Flagstaff, Arizona 1955

Robert Frank made this silver gelatin print of a car accident scene somewhere between Winslow and Flagstaff, Arizona. Look at these men standing around in this field of dry grass, the heaviness of their winter coats, the awkwardness of their hands and feet, and their dark hats! Frank seems to have caught them in a moment of profound realization about the fragility of life and the proximity of death. The grainy texture and high contrast only enhance the starkness of the scene, and maybe reflects the emotional weight of the moment. I wonder if Frank saw something of himself in these figures, a fellow traveler on the road of life, grappling with its inherent uncertainties? It's funny that one man is wearing a suit. Maybe he's a cop? Artists are always trying to see and understand life, and it's this ongoing conversation across time, between artists and viewers, that keeps the whole damn thing going.