"Vogue" women--New York City W23 1952 - 1953

This is Robert Frank’s contact sheet of Vogue women in New York City, likely from the mid-20th century; the evidence is in the details. I love how Frank captures these women; the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. There are layers, and layers, and layers. I think about the artist’s process, each image capturing a slightly different angle or emotion. The images aren't perfect, they are not supposed to be. Instead, there is a realness in the off-kilter angles, the blurry details. You can see the city as a stage and the people as players. It makes me think about other photographers who explore similar themes, like Garry Winogrand, another New York street photographer of the same era. In this photo, you can feel the energy of New York, the hum of everyday life. As artists, Frank and Winogrand both teach us that art isn't about perfection, it’s about capturing a feeling, a moment, a truth.