Peru, page 5 1948

Editor: We're looking at Robert Frank's gelatin-silver print, "Peru, page 5" from 1948. It's a striking portrait, and I’m really drawn to the contrast between the textures of the clothing and the natural backdrop. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: I am drawn to the formal elements that structure this photograph. The use of light and shadow carves out planes in a way that adds considerable depth to this gelatin print, does it not? I think of semiotics; the hats that adorn the subjects establish a framework and communicate the context for the photograph as much as their faces do. Are you seeing something similar? Editor: Yes, I think that's insightful. The hats definitely ground the image and bring to the forefront a specific cultural moment. There is a softness to the clothing versus the sharpness of the shadows, the hats as a symbol juxtapose hard/soft notions here. I also noticed the picture looks like it comes out of a binder. Any thoughts why it includes the binder as a component? Curator: It adds a critical meta-layer. We must think, is this inclusion random or a very important gesture? What is this image attached to? I believe there is a conceptual framing element. Its material form gives added structure and invites considerations of how this work may connect to ideas about image, object, and meaning in Post-Impressionism. Editor: This discussion has highlighted a very new way of approaching the work. Thinking of the image as a visual marker, alongside the material and meaning, will shift how I analyze photographs from now on! Curator: Precisely. And focusing on formal elements will give you deeper access into more varied perspectives.