Congressional 15 c. 1954 - 1955

This is a photographic contact sheet by Robert Frank, filled with black and white images and red editing marks. Looking at it, I can almost hear the click of the shutter and the whir of the film advancing. It feels like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Frank's editing process, a peek into his mind as he selected the "decisive moments." I imagine Frank, hunched over his work, a magnifying glass in hand, scrutinizing each frame, searching for the perfect shot. And I sympathize with his task - it's never easy choosing what makes the cut. Those red marks feel so loaded. I wonder why he rejected them. What was he looking for? As a painter I relate to the process, that constant back-and-forth between intention and accident, between seeing and feeling. And in the end, like all artists, Frank was adding his voice to the ongoing conversation across time, inspiring new ways of seeing the world.