Paris 74B 1951 - 1952

In this photographic work, Paris 74B, made by Robert Frank, we're peeking into the artist's process, seeing not just the final image, but the strips of film, the outtakes, the almost-weres. Frank's use of black and white gives everything a timeless feel, like a memory fading at the edges. Look at the blue marker streaks slashed across some of the frames, like a painter attacking a canvas. It’s as though he's saying, "Not this one," or maybe, "This one, but with a different energy." The red and yellow outlines feel like little notes, edits, a conversation with himself. The texture of the film itself, the sprocket holes, the frame numbers – it all becomes part of the story. I'm reminded of what Rauschenberg was doing around the same time, blurring the lines between photography, painting, and collage. Frank isn't just presenting us with a picture; he's showing us a way of seeing, of questioning, of embracing the beauty in the imperfect.