Peru 1948

This photograph, Peru, by Robert Frank, captures a street scene with a long set of steps. I imagine Frank, maybe a bit tired from traveling, pausing, framing the scene. The light seems to be a bit hazy. I find myself wondering about the people ascending and descending these worn stairs. What’s their story? Where are they going? The rough texture of the stone and the starkness of the buildings creates this contrast, right? The way the photograph is composed, with a sharp, simple focus, and the way Frank has captured the light and shadow, makes me wonder if he was thinking about Cartier-Bresson, and his decisive moment. But Frank adds this melancholic emotional depth, this sense of being an outsider. And it makes me think, what if I were to paint this? How would I capture the feelings evoked by this image? I’d maybe start with a wash, letting the colors blend and blur, and then I’d build up the texture with thick layers of paint, scraping away at it to reveal what lies beneath, trying to recreate that same sense of depth and feeling. Ultimately, what speaks to me most is how artists like Frank engage in this ongoing conversation across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.