Cowboys no number 1954

Editor: We’re looking at "Cowboys no number" by Robert Frank, a gelatin silver print from 1954. It's not a single image, but a contact sheet, a strip of multiple photographs. Seeing them together like this feels fragmented, almost dreamlike, even though each individual frame appears pretty straightforward. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: You're right, it's a very evocative arrangement. For me, contact sheets are like stepping into the artist's thought process. We're not just seeing the final image; we're privy to what Robert Frank was seeing, the various angles and fleeting moments that captured his attention. There is a sense of voyeurism. Considering it was made in 1954, during a period when America projected such a squeaky-clean image, this glimpse feels raw and unfiltered. Editor: Voyeuristic is a great word. I get a sense that he’s exploring something about American identity beyond the glossy magazine covers of the time. Was he known for challenging societal norms? Curator: Absolutely. Frank was Swiss-American and came to this country with fresh eyes. He wasn't beholden to the romanticized notions of the West, so he saw its complexities. Notice the sequence, it jumps from cowboys, to what seems like a main street scene, to an intimate child's play. Are these vignettes suggesting something larger, perhaps a commentary on Americana and performance? The gritty aesthetic really amplifies the narrative tension. Editor: That makes the juxtaposition all the more interesting! Seeing it as a series of outtakes rather than polished images gives it a totally different weight. I had considered Frank as someone interested in street photography, but seeing all of these images and outtakes presented together really encourages me to think of the series in terms of cinema, especially with the heavy blacks separating the scenes. It suggests a more curated reading of time and passage than I had realized! Thanks! Curator: Precisely! That fragmented nature speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Seeing the creative process changes the artwork and narrative of what it could be!