Paris 12B 1951 - 1952

Robert Frank's 'Paris 12B' captures a moment in time through the lens of a camera, a sequence of black and white frames on a roll of film. I wonder about Frank wandering the streets, clicking away, trying to distill a feeling or an experience of the city. Maybe he's searching for something intangible, or perhaps he's drawn to the everyday rhythms of life unfolding around him. You see the snow falling, the traffic lights, the people scurrying about – each frame a fragment of a larger story. The materiality of photography is so interesting, the grain of the film, the way light and shadow interact to create form. Frank invites us to see the world in a new light, to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the ordinary. It’s a gesture towards other photographers and filmmakers who have played with the medium. It all feels immediate and honest, like a snapshot from a dream.