Andraitx, Spain 5 1952

This is Andraitx, Spain 5, a photo by Robert Frank. It's a contact sheet, that amazing document where a photographer gets to see all their shots at once, like a painter standing back from the canvas to survey what they’ve done. I just love the way Frank uses the filmstrip itself as a compositional element, those dark bars slicing through the images, creating this visual rhythm. It's almost like he's painting with light and shadow, composing with the raw materials of his medium. You can see Frank circling certain images he liked, making marks on the surface and layering his choices over the world. It reminds me of other artists who are also invested in the act of seeing. Think about the way Gerhard Richter plays with focus and blur, or how Louise Lawler photographs artworks in their contexts, raising questions about value and presentation. Photography, like painting, can be such a philosophical pursuit. I feel Frank is in conversation with all these artists and many more.