City of London 9 1952 - 1953

Robert Frank's photographic print, City of London 9, captures a series of grainy images developed from a black and white film roll. I imagine Frank walking the streets, camera in hand, and the dark room being the place for the film to come to life. The images are sequential, like a storyboard, creating a narrative out of fleeting moments. It's about the city, but more about movement, a lived experience caught on film. I can feel Frank capturing the grit and atmosphere of London life. The photos don't offer a clear, unobstructed view; there’s a deliberate lack of polish, a grittiness, like life itself. The high contrast adds to the sense of immediacy, the here-and-now. Frank’s work is linked to painters like Gerhard Richter, who also explores photography's capacity for realism and abstraction. Both artists challenge how we see and interpret the world, sparking a dialogue about the nature of observation and representation. Ultimately, it is this play of form and content that keeps the conversation alive.