Skier overlooking valley--Sports c. 1941

Here's a little square of captured light, a photograph by Robert Frank, showing a skier overlooking a valley. I imagine him there, Frank, with his camera, a little like the skier with his poles. It’s a very human gesture, pausing on a slope. It is a moment of reflection amidst the potential energy of downhill motion. What was he thinking about when he made this image? Was he thinking about the relationship between the individual and the landscape? Or was he simply looking for a good shot, one that would capture something of the human condition? Frank always had an eye for the underdog, the outsider, the lonely figure in a crowd. In this photo, the skier seems to be caught between worlds. The valley below promises the warmth and safety of community, while the mountains looming above speak of nature's sublime indifference. Much like a painter, Frank composes with light and shadow, creating a surface that invites touch, a terrain for the eye to wander through.