City of London 2/Black White and Things 16 1952 - 1953

This is Robert Frank's "City of London 2/Black White and Things 16," a gelatin silver print that captures the fragmented essence of urban life. Frank, a Swiss-American photographer, is renowned for his raw, documentary style that often reflects feelings of alienation and detachment. In this work, the use of the film strip as the final piece, complete with markings and edits, invites us into Frank's artistic process. The images, likely taken in the City of London, present fleeting moments of anonymous figures navigating through a dense, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The high contrast and grainy texture amplify the emotional weight, hinting at the grit beneath the surface of the city. Frank once said, "The eye should learn to listen before it looks." Here, he challenges us to not just see but to feel the pulse of a city and the solitary experiences within it. "City of London 2" encapsulates a sense of transient existence, inviting us to reflect on our own place within the urban landscape.