New York City S2 1958

Robert Frank’s photographic contact sheet, New York City S2, is like a painter's preparatory sketch, but instead of charcoal or paint, it's captured with light and chemistry. I can imagine Frank wandering the streets, his Leica camera a natural extension of his eye. He shoots and shoots, motivated by the pure potential of the shot. Each frame here is a glimpse into his process, a series of visual notes exploring composition and light. Look at how the light falls on the subject’s faces in different shots. What does it communicate? Contact sheets are part of the darkroom process, an experimental act for the artist to decide which shots to use. Here, the collection of images becomes a whole new artwork. It reminds us that every artist, no matter their medium, is engaged in a similar dance of observation, selection, and presentation. We’re all just trying to figure it out, frame by frame.