Guggenheim 540--Benediction of the Waters, Long Beach, California 1955 - 1956

This is Robert Frank’s 35mm contact sheet, “Guggenheim 540--Benediction of the Waters, Long Beach, California.” Frank documented ordinary life, but he did it in a way that felt both intimate and detached, know what I mean? Looking at this contact sheet, you get a sense of the artist’s eye searching, circling, and zooming in. I imagine Frank walking along the beach, his camera a natural extension of his body. The red circles drawn around certain frames are like little windows into Frank's mind, showing us what caught his attention. I wonder what he was thinking when he circled those frames with the dark marker. It’s all about rhythm. You know, a constant back and forth, a give and take. Just like painting, photography is an ongoing exchange between the artist and the world, a conversation that never really ends.