Peru, no number by Robert Frank

Peru, no number 1948

0:00
0:00

Dimensions: sheet: 27.8 x 35.4 cm (10 15/16 x 13 15/16 in.)

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

Robert Frank shot this composite photograph, “Peru, no number” with a still camera, and collage in a dark room. What strikes me is the presentation, like a series of film stills, offering us a glimpse into a narrative, but withholding the complete story. The images are presented as found objects, mounted unevenly and at a slight angle. The textures vary from crisp to blurred, creating a sense of depth and movement across the composition. In the frame to the right, two parrots are perched on a pole marked with an anchor, evoking a sense of travel and the exotic. Frank's work often explores themes of alienation and displacement, and I can really feel that here. I can’t help but think of other photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, who aimed to capture ‘the decisive moment’. Whereas Frank seems more interested in the accumulation of moments, inviting us to piece together our own narratives. He's less like a journalist, more like a poet.

Show more

Comments

No comments

Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.