Whitney 2 1958

Robert Frank made ‘Whitney 2’ using gelatin silver print at an unspecified date. I love how this contact sheet presents a crowd of people, maybe at an opening, all bunched together, looking at art. The photo is dominated by a grayscale palette; shades of gray create a muted atmosphere, the texture is smooth, and the surface is glossy. The contrast between light and shadow adds depth and definition to the piece. Look at the strip at the bottom of the sheet. It’s as if Frank took a picture with the camera upside down! Maybe to suggest we need to turn the world on its head to really see it. Frank was a big influence on other photographers like William Eggleston, who also played with spontaneity. I think this piece reminds us that art is more about the questions we ask than the answers we think we have.