Florence--Italy 7 1964

This is Robert Frank’s ‘Florence--Italy 7’, a black and white photograph, but when it was made, is unknown. You know, sometimes the murkiness of an image, or a sequence of images like this, is what gives it such depth. Here, Frank gives us a series of glimpses, some sharply in focus, others blurred or obscured. The light and dark are so strong, so present. It’s not just about capturing what's there; it's about how he sees it, how he feels it. The contrast he finds in the world is a real statement on his part, as a fellow artist. Look at the way the frames run, you get the sense of a journey, not just through a city, but through someone’s mind. It’s like Frank is saying, ‘Here’s what caught my eye, make of it what you will’. And you know, that’s what good art does: it invites you in, makes you think, makes you feel. It’s almost reminiscent of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photographs; both artists playing with focus to evoke mood, leaving space for the viewer to fill in the gaps.