Andrea--San Francisco 1956

Curator: Here we have Robert Frank's photograph, "Andrea--San Francisco" from 1956, a gelatin silver print. Editor: It's... intense. Half her face is swallowed by shadow. She looks like she's harboring a secret, or maybe judging me? And there are domestic and even childlike objects surrounding the figure such as flowers and maybe a fish bowl? But it’s definitely a still moment full of suspense. Curator: Frank often aimed for that raw, unstaged feel. Consider the socio-political temperature then—post-war America, brimming with optimism, yet simmering with unease. His process of using a 35mm Leica, typically reserved for photojournalism, to capture daily life as a work of art really shows the tension between objectivity and intimacy here. Editor: Intimacy is the key word for me in this picture. There's almost a tangible grit, you know? Like you can feel the texture of the print, the silver halides doing their work. It's not slick; it's real. But this realness has clearly been captured in some domestic, comfortable setting, the kind where little girls can have some respite to think and grow. Curator: The deliberate use of shadow, which makes her form blend so seamlessly into the dark surrounding void, is interesting in this portrait. Editor: Yes! Frank is playing with something much older. If you look closely at some portraits from Renaissance, even ancient Egypt, this contrast between darkness and a few points of focus has deep roots and serves a specific function of highlighting specific and important points within an image that seem simple on their face. Curator: And it also reveals a darker social history. During this period of cultural optimism, Frank found interest in exposing more conflicted emotions from day to day experience by employing common materials of commercial imaging that allowed the truth to come out. Editor: And it did come out. I've always admired Frank’s work and willingness to question what is taken as face value. "Andrea—San Francisco" is one of his best that accomplishes all of those attributes and more!