Filmen (Filming) 24-35 1942

Robert Frank’s “Filmen (Filming) 24-35” presents a series of photographic glimpses, likely made with a handheld camera, recording a film set in production. The material presence of these photographs is quite direct; gelatin silver prints on paper, mounted on a larger sheet. But of course, the real material story is in what they depict: a whole array of equipment brought to bear on the act of filmmaking. We see cameras, reflectors, ladders, and scaffolding, all deployed to orchestrate the illusion that will eventually be projected on the silver screen. And let's not forget the labor involved; the many bodies working to produce a collaborative artwork. In this sense, Frank's “Filmen” brings the means of production into full view. He challenges distinctions between the world of skilled labour, and the purported genius of artistic creativity. He invites us to consider the full scope of making in modern times, and the relationship between materials, processes, and social realities.