Hollywood sign--Hollywood 59 1958

Robert Frank's 'Hollywood sign--Hollywood 59' from, well, 1959, captures a series of black and white film stills. The Hollywood sign emerges, ghost-like, through the fog. I can almost feel Frank, camera in hand, shifting, framing, and reframing the shot, trying to capture something about that sign that wasn't just picture-postcard perfect. I like the way the letters loom, almost menacing. It looks like he was playing with the light, letting it wash out certain frames, and focusing on others. There's one frame in particular, marked with a red outline, where the sign seems to dissolve into the smog. I feel like he's saying something about the illusions of fame and fortune, the way dreams can fade. It reminds me of other photographers, like Garry Winogrand, who were also poking holes in the American Dream around that time. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that as artists, we are all in conversation with one another. We embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.