Guggenheim 741--Chicago 1956

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, Guggenheim 741--Chicago, at an unknown date. It is a series of photographs presented as the film strip, with sprocket holes and all. I think it's less about the subject matter and more about Frank playing with the way we see. These glimpses of Chicago feel like moments, like fleeting thoughts or the half-formed memories of a dream. He's not trying to give us the perfect postcard view; it’s more gritty and real. Look at the graininess, the high contrast between the blacks and whites. There's a rawness to the film, like he's inviting us into his darkroom. Even the way he leaves the edges of the film strip visible, makes me think about process. Frank is right there, manipulating and choosing which moments to share. It makes you wonder what he left out. It all reminds me of what Moholy-Nagy was doing at the Bauhaus; playing around with photography, not just as a way to document, but as a medium for experimentation and personal expression.