Hearn's--New York City no number 1955

Robert Frank made this photographic contact sheet of Hearn’s department store in New York City. It’s raw. I can feel the darkroom. What was it like for him to walk around, shooting so many frames? You know, I often wonder about what it feels like for other artists to be *in* the world. Like, what it’s like to be them, what they’re thinking? Maybe he was chasing something elusive, searching for the quintessential New York moment, or maybe he was simply documenting the mundane, the everyday lives of ordinary people. The escalator shots, they’re kind of funny, right? The way people are arranged and moving, it’s almost slapstick. Frank's work reminds us of the beauty in the imperfect, in the gritty, in the fleeting moments that make up our lives. It has a kinship with the work of other street photographers such as Garry Winogrand and Helen Levitt, all capturing a moment in time. Their work is like a conversation between friends, each offering their unique perspective on the world.