Caerau, Wales 1953

Robert Frank made this photograph, "Caerau, Wales", in 1951. It’s a gelatin silver print, capturing a street scene on what looks like a cold, wet day. I wonder what Frank was thinking, pointing his lens at this row of houses, a group of people huddled near a wall, and a dog trotting across the street. There’s something so direct about the image. The contrast between the dark wall and the glimmering water creates a sharp divide. The way the buildings line up, receding into the distance, reminds me of geometric exercises and a sense of urban compression. The blur of the dog mid-stride is especially evocative, injecting life into the scene and reminding me of Helen Levitt's street photographs. It all feels so unposed and real. It’s like Frank is saying, "Here it is, folks. This is what it looks like, this is how people live." And that’s powerful. Artists are always showing each other what's possible, aren't they?