City of London 1952

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, City of London, in 1952. I am fascinated by Frank's method of working with contrast in photography. The starkness gives his images a brutal and unsettling edge. It's like he’s not just seeing, but *feeling* the city. Check out how the light seems to cling to the slick cobblestones. The contrast between the man’s dark suit, the bright flash of his umbrella handle, and the hazy background, it all gives this image a real sense of depth. It's a dance between light and shadow, where the city’s true grit comes out. The composition reminds me a little of Edward Hopper. Both have a knack for capturing a kind of urban alienation, a sense of being alone in the crowd, but Frank definitely brings a more gritty, documentary style to it. This image is a reminder that art is about seeing, feeling, and then showing us something real about the world.