Wales 7 1953

Robert Frank made this photographic work, Wales 7, with film, capturing moments in what appears to be a Welsh mining community. When I look at this contact sheet, with its sequence of images, I think about the decisions Frank made with each shot. How he framed each scene, what he chose to include or exclude, the timing of his click. He's playing with light and shadow, offering glimpses into the lives of these workers, their environment, their labor. I find myself thinking about the physicality of photography, of holding a camera, seeing and responding. There's a relationship between the photographer and the subject, each influencing the other, captured in a fraction of a second. It's a process of constant adjustment, intuitive choices, and embracing the unpredictable. The red and blue marks on the film make me think about a painter using colors. These photos echo down the years, and remind me that, as artists, we're always building on what came before, finding new ways to see and to be seen.