Photographer, convention hall--Chicago 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, ‘Photographer, convention hall--Chicago’, using gelatin silver, and you know, it's less about what's literally depicted, and more about what's suggested; the feeling you get when you see it. Look how the photographer in the foreground leans into the wall like a blank canvas. You can almost smell the dust on his shoes and the wall. The grain is pronounced; Frank embraces the gritty texture, so the image feels like a document, not a slick advertising shot. The composition is dynamic, and everything is in the grey area, really, which is also the point of photography; to be in the middle, to capture what is real. There is a whole crowd of people, but there is one guy doing all the work. It reminds me of Garry Winogrand, who was also just out on the street making pictures. Both artists were documenting ordinary moments, revealing the beauty and complexity of everyday life. Ultimately, the meaning isn't fixed; it shifts with each viewer, each interpretation.