London 31 1952 - 1953

Robert Frank created this photographic work, a series of frames showing snowy scenes in London. In several frames we see large groups of birds. Birds carry a wealth of symbolic weight across cultures and time. They can represent freedom, the soul's journey, or even act as omens. Look at the frames in which birds gather in large numbers, set against the stark, wintry landscape. Consider flocks of birds, like those in Hitchcock's film, as symbols of impending doom. The collective unease, an anxiety about society, is translated into the natural world. Frank uses the bird motif to explore psychological states. The birds might represent repressed emotions, suddenly, and unsettlingly, taking flight. This resonates with the theories of the subconscious mind, where hidden feelings find expression through symbols. It’s a powerful reminder of how motifs evolve, carrying echoes of past meanings while adapting to new cultural and personal contexts.