Cowboys--Casper, Wyoming 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, Cowboys--Casper, Wyoming, at an unknown date using black and white film. Look at how he's captured the texture of the cowboys' clothing, especially the plaid shirt in the foreground; it's all about the process of light and shadow. Frank’s world is grainy. His blacks are deep and rich, and the whites pop with an almost blinding intensity. His printing feels intuitive, like the darkroom was a place for experimentation rather than perfection. In this image, the faces of the cowboys are obscured in shadow, which gives this picture an emotional depth. This is a particularly bold move considering that the faces are what draw you to a portrait. The contrast between the figures and the background almost flattens the image, but it also creates a certain tension. Frank reminds me a lot of Walker Evans. They both see America with a curious and critical eye. But where Evans is more formal and detached, Frank is raw and personal.