Congressional K c. 1954 - 1955

"Congressional K" is a photographic work by Robert Frank, documenting a journey, or perhaps a sequence of journeys. It's all about the process of image-making, contact sheets are like the artist's notebooks, revealing the raw, unedited takes. Frank presents us with the bare bones of his process, the texture of the film, the sprocket holes, and the slightly uneven printing that gives it a tactile quality. Look at the frame in the middle, the one with the airplane. What is it doing there? It's a break in the rhythm, a moment of visual poetry that elevates the whole sequence. It's like a little secret, a whisper of something more profound amidst the everyday. Frank’s work reminds me of the raw, unfiltered energy of someone like Nan Goldin. Both artists share a willingness to expose the vulnerable and unvarnished aspects of life. Ultimately, Frank invites us to embrace the messy, imperfect, and endlessly fascinating nature of art and life itself.