Guggenheim 713--Rodeo, Casper, Wyoming 1956

This is a photographic contact sheet of rodeo imagery shot by Robert Frank in Casper, Wyoming. In the darkroom, printing a contact sheet is kind of a magical moment of transformation, a time to slow down and reflect. I’m really drawn to the physicality of this contact sheet, and how Frank seems to embrace the filmic grain, the scratches, the dust, all the imperfections. Like an artist's sketch, this image revels in the gritty, material qualities of the photographic medium. The black lines separating each individual frame act almost like a grid, each one a little vignette of cowboy life. Look how Frank crops each frame, emphasizing different details. In the bottom row, he composes his shots to capture the lone cowboy, set against the arena and stadium beyond. I'm reminded of Garry Winogrand here, with the similar ways he plays with composition and contrast. Like all great art, Frank embraces ambiguity, inviting us to find our own meaning in the moment.