On 11th Street NYC/Benny 1951

Robert Frank made this photograph on 11th Street in New York City. It features a man, Benny, clutching an armful of naked doll parts! I wonder what was going through Frank’s head when he took this shot, and what Benny was thinking too? Was this an everyday street scene, or did it have another dimension? I’m always thinking about process, and what happens when you shift your perspective. Frank’s photo makes me think about what it means to see something askew. I love the gray tones in this photograph, the graininess feels like the city—concrete and gritty. But the naked dolls take it to a new place! It's a bit unsettling, and that's probably the point. Frank's photographs have a way of making you feel uneasy, like something is not quite right, but that's what makes them so compelling. They open a door to a different way of seeing, and isn't that what art is all about?