Subway 6 1955

Curator: This is "Subway 6," a gelatin-silver print created by Robert Frank in 1955. It's an amazing example of street photography. Editor: My first thought? Claustrophobia. And maybe a touch of voyeurism. It's like stumbling on someone else’s roll of film—raw and intimate. Curator: Absolutely. Frank was a master at capturing the grittiness of everyday life, especially the sense of alienation in urban spaces. The choice to depict the subway speaks volumes. Editor: Right? Like everyone’s just packed in, bodies pressed together but utterly disconnected. You’ve got glimpses of faces, fragments of conversations—snippets of stories that just disappear. Curator: His approach directly challenges the idealized portrayals of America at the time, offering a counter-narrative through capturing candid moments. Think about what it meant to unveil those unseen realities, considering dominant power structures and social inequalities. Editor: It's all about those ordinary moments and it feels like that he did nothing to hide the ordinaryness of his photographs; look at the frames of the 35 mm. It makes this really personal, like found footage or a sort of film diary, like you weren't meant to see it. It's amazing that we are watching someone elses real life Curator: Exactly! This documentary style allowed him to challenge the notion of a unified American identity, to expose underlying issues. Editor: Do you think the fact that is black and white has a lot to do with the sensation of time, and of being something "vintage" and raw? Would we have the same impact in colors? Curator: Undoubtly the effect wouldn't be the same. Its starkness highlights the harsh realities he observed. In my view, it speaks about those who lack visibility, pushing forward discussions on how identity, social class, and political forces shape public experiences. Editor: Makes me wonder what stories those anonymous faces hold. You know, the woman with the newspaper, the kid staring blankly, I wonder if those scenes have anything to tell today? I suppose so... It is sad, actually. Curator: It’s about holding a mirror to society and encouraging us to reflect on our collective journey through history and into our present times. Editor: It's like holding a mirror, slightly cracked, but showing a true reflection, maybe. So, it all feels timelessly real in that "captured" feeling. Curator: Precisely. Thank you for the image.