Charles Mingus--London 9 1952 - 1953

Robert Frank gave us this contact sheet, "Charles Mingus--London 9," at some point in his career, and it's like getting a peek behind the curtain. We see a bunch of frames, glimpses of London life, all in black and white. Frank then marks up the surface of the sheet with a big red nine on the left side, and some rectangles below. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I saw, and here's what grabbed me." You know, as a painter, I love seeing this raw, unedited process. It's like looking at a painter’s sketches. That red marker is like a jolt of energy against the monochrome, a reminder that art-making isn't just about capturing a perfect image, it's about the artist's hand, their choices, their way of seeing the world. Seeing the world through Frank’s eyes is a messy, intuitive process, and he’s not afraid to show it. It reminds me of the way I approach painting, embracing the unexpected, the imperfect, the raw energy of the moment. It is an ongoing conversation of ideas.