New York City no number 1957

This photographic work by Robert Frank presents us with a strip of celluloid film, a material synonymous with the 20th century and its culture of mass media. Frank, a master of street photography, used his camera as a tool to capture spontaneous moments, freezing slices of life as they unfolded. This film strip shows the raw, unedited results of that process, the contact sheet offering a glimpse into the artist's working method. The texture is grainy, the contrast stark, reflecting the gritty reality Frank sought to portray, a deliberate choice that went against the polished aesthetics of commercial photography. The darkroom work is evident in the developing process. This materiality is tied to the social context of the time; the labor involved, the use of technology, and the consumption of images. Frank's work challenged the boundaries of traditional art, elevating the everyday into the realm of artistic expression. Ultimately, this film strip invites us to consider the making of an image and its connection to the wider world.