Gate--Architecture 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print called Gate—Architecture at some point in his life. It looks like a film still, or a memory, doesn’t it? I like the way Frank frames his subjects. Here, a heavy black border creates a threshold, almost like another gate, making us consider what we are seeing, and how we are seeing it. There is a literal gate of course, beautifully illuminated, but slightly off-center. This imbalance lends the image a casual feel. The eye is drawn from the gate to the person standing inside, and then further back to the snow-covered mountains, rendered in soft focus. It’s a landscape, but also a portrait, a still life, and an architectural study. I always feel like Frank is looking for something, looking for a way in. Frank’s work reminds me of other photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, but I also see a connection to filmmakers like Jim Jarmusch. He seems to say that art is a way to be present in the world, and to be open to whatever comes next.