Nixon campaign 25 1960

Editor: This is "Nixon campaign 25" a gelatin silver print from 1960 by Robert Frank, a sequence of black and white frames arranged on a strip. The image strikes me as intimate, almost voyeuristic. So, I wonder, what catches your eye when you look at this work? Curator: Well, the sheer number of frames, like a compressed movie reel, whispers volumes. I'm instantly drawn into this behind-the-scenes glimpse of Nixon. But there's a roughness here, a deliberate shunning of glossy campaign imagery. Each frame hints at a story, yet leaves us piecing it together. Does that roughness resonate with you? Editor: It does! It feels like he’s going against the grain. But I can’t put my finger on why it stands out. Curator: Maybe it’s the sense of unvarnished truth it projects. Frank wasn't interested in painting a pretty picture. The Ashcan school influence, documenting the gritty realities of modern life, is palpable. Instead of staged perfection, we see Nixon as a person, in moments of contemplation, action, even vulnerability. Makes you wonder what he’s writing in frame 33, doesn’t it? Or perhaps who's casting that shadow in the stairwell. Editor: It does! I am now wondering if Frank’s aim was to present a nuanced image of Nixon or make a broader comment about political image-making at the time? Curator: Precisely! It invites us to question the curated narratives we’re fed. And maybe to see the man behind the politician – or the performance. It’s messy, yes, but so is life, so is history. Editor: I didn’t notice all of that before. I guess I see this work now in a completely new light. Curator: Me too!