San Gennaro festival--New York City no number 1951

This gelatin silver print by Robert Frank captures New York City's San Gennaro festival through a sequence of frames. The arrangement of multiple film strips presents a fragmented narrative, playing with the viewer's perception of time and space. Frank's use of the film strip as a compositional element divides the scene into distinct yet interconnected moments. The high contrast and grainy texture, typical of his style, evoke a raw, documentary feel. Light and shadow emphasize certain figures and details, abstracting them from their surroundings. The photograph's structure challenges traditional notions of photographic representation. The sequential nature of the images invites us to consider the relationship between individual frames and the overall narrative, suggesting a deeper commentary on cultural rituals. The rough texture and stark tonality reflect the social and political context in which it was made, engaging the viewer in a critical dialogue about the nature of representation.