Family in Provincetown no number 1958

Curator: Here we have "Family in Provincetown," a gelatin-silver print by Robert Frank, dated 1958. Quite an unusual presentation, wouldn’t you say? Almost like a film strip... Editor: That's exactly what strikes me – it’s a reel of moments, a fragmented story. Seeing those little glimpses lined up, it feels nostalgic, bittersweet. There's a child recurring through the frames... and landscape. What do you see when you consider its history and place? Curator: Frank, in this era, was intensely documenting America, and really reshaping how photography could reflect society. He challenged conventions by employing more raw, informal techniques, like snapshots... His vision definitely had its critics, those who thought his perspective was too personal, even cynical. He portrayed this in film strips a lot of the time.. almost like an invasion of privacy in a documentary style. Editor: The contrast is intriguing – a formal display of something that feels so fleeting and intimate. Those moments captured out in Provincetown must have held meaning, yet arranged like this, they almost become studies, explorations of movement and light. A series of landscapes, figures, then an image upside-down... Curator: Absolutely, it's all very considered, very authored... I feel that Frank did really attempt to explore this intersection of personal expression and the larger political environment. The choice of black and white adds another layer, creating this feeling of looking into a past we weren't a part of. It makes this artwork... very iconic! What's your favorite frame here? Editor: It is hard to pick just one but the most prominent frame looks like the child is twirling through the long grass; this feels both free and innocent but the composition gives it a somewhat melancholy touch. What is striking is the sense of narrative even if one frame can be randomly taken! Curator: The whole composition offers so much, and you feel the artist had the choice of multiple images, but yet decided on a few iconic fragments. So glad to have contemplated on it today! Editor: Indeed; a remarkable work with multiple stories and angles.