Men sleeping outdoors 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print – *Men Sleeping Outdoors* - and it's a pretty arresting image. I look at it, and I think about what it means to capture a moment like this. There's a distance and intimacy at play, the sleepers nestled against the wall and tree. What was Frank thinking when he made it? The angle is odd, as though he wants us to see from a higher place, like a bird. It reminds me of other street photography, like that of Helen Levitt. You can't help but notice all the textures—the rough wall, the tree bark, and even the clothes of the men. Frank draws our attention to the small tree in the foreground, its delicate branches a stark contrast to the men lying still. He is making poetry out of what is in front of him. And that's what artists do, right? We’re always inspired by one another, riffing on ideas, making something new out of what came before. These images—still, quiet, unsettling—become a way of seeing and feeling the world.