Horses--Animals 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank captured "Horses--Animals" with his camera, creating a silver gelatin print. It's a tight composition, and what strikes me most is the materiality of the photograph itself. The subtle gradations of gray, the way the light catches on the horses' coats, it’s all so physical. Look at the textures: the coarse fabric of the wagon cover, the smooth leather of the harnesses, the cobblestones underfoot. It's like Frank is asking us to feel the weight and the grit of the world. See that little white spot on the lead horse’s nose? It's an imperfection, and makes the horse feel real, not staged. This piece reminds me of Walker Evans, another photographer who found beauty in the everyday. But Frank has a rawness, a sense of urgency, that's all his own. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection, it's about seeing.