Willem de Kooning 11 1961

This is Robert Frank’s photographic contact sheet, showing Willem de Kooning in his studio. I imagine Frank circling de Kooning like a hawk, observing and capturing the artist in his natural habitat. De Kooning stands amidst his paintings, his suspenders and button-down giving off artist vibes. The contact sheet captures a dance, a visual tango between photographer and painter. I imagine the light in that room, the smell of oil paint, the quiet energy of two artists circling one another. Here's de Kooning with his palette, and then a painting is carried into shot – he is in the process of making a painting. It’s this simple. Artists are constantly in conversation, responding to each other across time and space. And it makes me think about all the different ways of seeing and experiencing the world, all the different interpretations. I wonder what Frank thought of De Kooning's work, and if he even liked it at all. I can see that Frank was inspired by him.