Paris 40A 1949 - 1950

Robert Frank created "Paris 40A," using gelatin silver print, and like any good artist, he lets the process show. The materiality of the photographic film takes center stage. We see the sprocket holes, the frame numbers, and even handwritten annotations directly on the film strip. The grainy texture of the black and white images creates a stark, almost confrontational atmosphere. The high contrast emphasizes the urban grit of Paris, and the repetition of certain images and the blurry effect gives a sense of motion and disorientation. That number "40" scrawled across the top strip—it’s like a window into Frank's decision-making. This work reminds me of Ed Ruscha, someone else who's not afraid to be unpolished. It's this roughness that invites us to see photography as a series of choices and chance encounters, rather than a perfect reproduction of reality.