Family at auto race--Los Angeles 1956

This is Robert Frank’s photograph, “Family at auto race—Los Angeles.” There's no date, so the exact year is a mystery. The blacks are really black, and the whites are really white. It's contrasty and a little blurry. It's raw, and somehow tender, like someone grabbed a moment from real life, just as it was. The photo has this casual feel, as if Frank just bumped into this family at the racetrack. The dad's got a baby wrapped in a blanket, a little off-center, and his face is just so serious. There's a dark car right behind them that frames the family. It's a dark shape but also shiny, like the American dream. Thinking about it, Frank’s way of capturing ordinary life reminds me of Helen Levitt’s street photography. They both looked at the world with such an honest eye. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection; it's about seeing and feeling.