Guggenheim 98/Ford 21--Detroit 1955

Editor: This is Robert Frank’s “Guggenheim 98/Ford 21--Detroit” taken in 1955. It's a gelatin silver print, and it seems to capture the gritty reality of factory work. Looking at the repetition in the photo strip, I feel a sense of relentless, mechanical movement, and wonder about the relationship between man and machine that is depicted here. What elements jump out at you? Curator: It is compelling how Frank chose to present his work in this segmented manner. The eye is compelled to survey the image horizontally and vertically to find a sense of rhythm. Note the play between light and shadow in each individual frame; it lends the photograph an incredible depth and texture, abstracting what might be deemed quotidian. Editor: So the organization of the photos and use of light creates an abstract aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. Frank’s formal decision of using the photo strip not only breaks with classical compositional structure, but in doing so, it prompts questions concerning the essence of industrial labour. He forces us to consider how mass production might alter individual expression, or lack thereof. Are the workers autonomous, or simply appendages to these metallic creations? Editor: That's a fascinating way to think about it – seeing the photograph strip as a way to show a lack of artistic order while thematically exploring the effects of industrialism in post-war America. The individual shots, and thus the individual laborers, are subsumed into an unfeeling mechanism. Thanks for breaking down those visual strategies. Curator: Indeed, contemplating the formal elements grants insights into broader social and historical inquiries. This piece is a powerful reflection of Modernity's legacy, and leaves me pensive each time I look at it.