New York City no number 1947

This is Robert Frank’s “New York City no number,” a black and white photograph of a contact sheet. I think Frank is inviting us into his darkroom, into the way he selects and edits images. He probably spent hours looking at these frames, and with these hard, small rectangles he made all of his decisions. I imagine him moving the magnifying glass and going back and forth, considering the composition of each frame. The high contrast enhances the contrast between light and dark, giving it a somewhat gritty quality. The composition is dynamic, with each frame offering a different perspective on the city. There is a sense of immediacy, as if Frank is capturing fragments of a fleeting moment. Painters and photographers, we're all in conversation, all the time. Frank makes you think about the image, the city, but also the process, the looking, the hard work of selecting.