Peru, no number 1948

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.