Allan Kaprow's party 5 1957

This is Robert Frank’s contact sheet documenting Allan Kaprow’s party, and it looks like it was made with a camera, light and some photographic paper. What strikes me about this piece is the way Frank captures Kaprow's happening. Each frame feels like a sketch, a quick study of movement and interaction. The grainy texture and high contrast give it an almost raw, immediate feel, like we're right there in the middle of it all. There's a looseness, a sense of the unplanned, which mirrors the spirit of Kaprow's work. Look at the way he frames the bodies in action, it's like he’s painting with light. You can feel Frank's own perspective in the way he chose to record it. It reminds me of some of the photographers associated with the Beat Generation, like William Klein, who were interested in capturing the gritty reality of everyday life. There’s an energy to this that I just find really compelling. I find it fascinating how different artists record similar events!