Cowboys no number 1954

Robert Frank made this series of photographs called 'Cowboys no number' using his camera sometime in the mid to late 20th century. It feels like he's developing a thought, or maybe a feeling, about the mythology of the cowboy. The images are small and grainy, the marks made by light feel immediate and unpolished. This rawness brings us closer to the subject, like we’re glimpsing something real behind the legend. Look at the way he repeats the cowboy hats, each one a little different, casting shadows, obscuring faces. The texture of the film itself becomes part of the story; the imperfections and the graininess speak to the past. It reminds me a bit of Walker Evans' interest in vernacular photography, but Frank brings a certain European sensibility, more off-kilter, not so picture perfect, a bit like my own painting practice! This piece isn’t about answers, it’s about questions, about looking and thinking and feeling our way through an image.