Hollywood 36 1958

Robert Frank captured Hollywood 36 with a camera, using film to explore a narrative sequence. I imagine Frank on the streets, navigating Hollywood, a place that seduces so many, a place that makes you want to be a part of it. What was he looking for, I wonder, what was he trying to capture as he snapped these images? The film strip format is so interesting – it’s not just one perfect shot, but many, like frames of a memory, revealing both the seen and the unseen. The crosses and markings on some frames tell their own story of editing and decision-making. This piece reminds me of Ed Ruscha's serial imagery, where repetition and variation create new ways of looking. What do you think? Artists build upon what others have done, speaking to each other across decades with their work. Frank's strip is a conversation, maybe with Hollywood, maybe with himself. The way he embraces the moment, with all its uncertainties, is so him.