Guggenheim 627--Musicians, San Francisco c. 1956

Robert Frank, no date given, created "Guggenheim 627--Musicians, San Francisco" with gelatin silver print. This is all about the film strip, the kind of mistakes and do-overs that end up on the cutting room floor. The dark frames pull you into the editing process. I love that we see what the artist chose to leave in and leave out. The blacks are thick and grainy, and the subjects seem to move in and out of focus. The musicians almost disappear into the shadows, but then they’re brought back into the light. The composition is interesting because it’s just a series of moments, and that gives you a real sense of movement and time. Like in the fourth row, where you can see someone in the midst of turning around. It feels unstaged and natural. Frank reminds me a bit of Garry Winogrand, another street photographer. Both artists captured the world as they saw it, without trying to pretty it up. Art isn't about perfection, but about finding beauty in imperfection.