Macy's parade--New York City no number 1957

Robert Frank made this photographic work, Macy's parade--New York City, sometime in the mid-20th century using film. Look at how Frank exposes the filmstrip itself. It is raw, and honest. The sequence offers a glimpse into his process, his eye moving restlessly through the parade. It is a dance between intention and accident, each frame a testament to the fleeting moment. You can sense Frank's presence, his movements, his breath almost, as he navigates through the bustling crowds. You see the repetition of forms, the marching figures, and the buildings. There is something about the grittiness and high contrast he uses which feels real and unstaged. Photography, like painting, offers a way of seeing and being in the world. What is it like to show everything, even the mistakes? What does it mean to make art out of the accidents? Frank’s work reminds me that art is not about perfection but about the messy, unpredictable process of being alive.