Melvin Tocker, 6 AM 1951

Robert Frank made 'Melvin Tocker, 6 AM' with film, and I guess, a camera. Frank’s work is all about capturing a fleeting moment, a gesture. The tonal range is a beautiful study in greyscale, and there’s a certain graininess that speaks to the realness of the shot, like a snatched moment in time. Look at the way the light catches the sheen of the stairs, compared to the soft matte texture of his work clothes. The focus is just soft enough, you know? It's like a memory, sharp in some places and hazy in others. There's a strong diagonal line that cuts across the frame, from the bottom left to the top right, creating a dynamic energy, but there's something calming about the photo too. Maybe it’s that cigar, or the way Melvin’s holding that mop. It's all just so casually composed. I think of Garry Winogrand or Diane Arbus, other artists who had the knack of capturing the everyday with such humanity and empathy. Frank reminds us that art can be found in the most ordinary moments, if you just know how to look.