Paris AA 1949

This is a contact sheet by Robert Frank, probably made in the darkroom. Frank's a master of black and white photography, and here we see his process laid bare: a collection of moments, each a potential story. I imagine Frank, cloaked in red darkroom light, hunched over trays of chemicals, coaxing these images into being. The film strip is a kind of map, charting a journey through Paris. What was he looking for? A fleeting expression, a certain light, a sense of place? The red 'AA' scrawled onto one frame feels like a personal note, a reminder to return to that particular image. It's a tantalizing glimpse into the artist's mind, reminding me of Cy Twombly's nonchalant markings. It reminds us that artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another’s creativity, all while embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.