Ford Plant 1955

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, Ford Plant, at an unknown date. The grayscale is a study in light, and it reveals so much about the content of the photograph. The whole image shimmers, but the center is grounded by the dark gaze of the man staring back at the camera. Frank doesn’t give us easy answers. The composition is full of industrial objects that frame the workers face. We see the ceiling, pipes and mechanics of the plant looming above him, while the foreground is heavy and dark, full of yet more mechanical objects. There is an incredible balance of light and dark across the picture plane. The subjects face is the lightest element in the center ground, drawing us to his expression. Frank's work is similar to Walker Evans, in that both artists are interested in capturing American life. But unlike the straightforward documentary approach of Evans, Frank's work has a more emotional, almost existential feeling. It's not just about showing what's there, but hinting at the bigger, unanswerable questions beneath the surface.