Carnival--Basel no number 1952

This is Robert Frank's "Carnival-Basel no number," a photo contact sheet that captures a street scene in several frames. I love how Frank presents us with multiple perspectives at once, almost like flipping through channels on a grainy old TV. You can feel Frank in the dark room, developing his rolls of film. It's about showing us all the different angles he explored, or maybe it’s about the carnival itself, fractured and fleeting, impossible to pin down. What was he thinking as he arranged the image? Each frame offers a glimpse into this festive occasion, but together, they create a sense of movement and chaos, like a painter’s canvas overflowing with gestures. Seeing them all together makes me wonder about the decisive moment, and the way the artist is constructing the image from many views. It reminds me of other serial photographers like Duane Michals, who were playing with time and narrative. This piece is like an exchange of ideas across time.