Guggenheim 623B--San Francisco c. 1956

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, Guggenheim 623B--San Francisco, with the kind of spontaneous and process-oriented feel that I love in art. It looks like a filmstrip, with all these little frames offering glimpses into different scenes. The texture and physicality of the medium are front and center. The blacks are so rich and deep, and the way the light catches some of the images gives it a real luminosity. The graininess adds to the sense of immediacy, like a snapshot of a fleeting moment. Take for example the 3rd row from the top, second image in, where a person's face is obscured by shadow, but the texture of their hair is lit from behind. It reminds me a bit of Warhol’s screen prints, in how it captures everyday life with a raw, almost documentary style, but with a deeply personal touch. Just like my own paintings, this print embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, inviting us to find our own meaning in the interplay of light and shadow.