To Rome--Italy 17 1964

Robert Frank made ‘To Rome—Italy 17’ using film – well, several strips of it, actually. You know, I can imagine Frank wandering around Rome, camera in hand, trying to capture the essence of this historic city. Here we have strips of film laid out, little windows offering glimpses into different scenes: ancient ruins, trees in the park, buildings, and people going about their lives. The film is grainy, contrasty, not perfect. It reminds me how memory works. I think of other photographers, and other painters, who’ve tried to capture the feel of a place or moment. What Frank is doing here is like a visual diary, a collection of fleeting impressions that together create a kind of emotional map. It’s like he's saying, "This is what Rome felt like to me." And in doing so, he invites us to bring our own feelings and memories to the mix.