London 2 1952 - 1953

Robert Frank's "London 2" is a photographic contact sheet, a matrix of small, grainy images printed in stark black and white. The composition is dominated by the repetitive structure of the film strips themselves. The use of sequence and repetition encourages us to consider structuralism: each frame is a signifier and the overall meaning is generated by the relationship between them. The high contrast, the stark tonality and the blurred motion all contribute to the aesthetic. The visual information is raw and direct. Frank is concerned less with the aesthetics of beauty and more with an interpretation of the urban landscape. Consider how the work destabilizes traditional notions of photographic representation, of capturing a single, perfect moment. Frank instead presents us with a series of incomplete moments, forcing the viewer to piece together the narrative. The result is a powerful commentary on modern life.