The Fruit Peddler, 7AM 1951

This is Robert Frank's, "The Fruit Peddler, 7AM". Frank takes his images with a 35mm camera. The graininess gives it a raw, immediate feel. The image is a study in contrasts, not just light and shadow, but the contrast between the two men. The younger man, with his pencil behind his ear, seems strong, while the older man is more weathered. Their faces are close, caught in a moment of exchange, but there's a distance too. The dark background pushes them forward, we can imagine them in a city waking up. I'm reminded of Walker Evans and his focus on everyday life. Like Evans, Frank finds beauty in the ordinary. There’s no clear story, but the rough texture invites us to fill in the gaps. Art lets us see the world in different ways, without fixed meanings.