Valencia, Spain 12 1952

Editor: Here we have Robert Frank's "Valencia, Spain 12," a gelatin silver print from 1952. What strikes me is how the artist chose to present the full contact sheet, instead of just the isolated, chosen photograph. What does this format say to you? Curator: Well, immediately, it speaks to the materiality of the photographic process, doesn’t it? By showing the entire roll, Frank deconstructs the notion of the singular, perfect image. We’re confronted with the labor, the trial and error inherent in photography. Editor: That’s interesting. So it's about revealing the work that goes into it. Do you see this as commenting on the commercialization of photography? Curator: Absolutely. The consumer often only sees the final polished image. Frank presents us with the raw, unedited reality. It pushes back against the glossy perfection typically associated with photography that was made to be sold. It reminds us that images are produced, constructed, commodities even. How might this affect our view of 'truth' within documentary photography? Editor: I see what you mean. Seeing all the images together really shifts the focus to Frank’s own actions in making the photographs. It makes me wonder, what kind of camera was he using and how did that impact the style? Curator: That’s precisely the sort of question to ask! This close attention to the means of production shifts the understanding of authorship and artistic expression to the materiality and process, not merely on what the subject is in the picture. It seems Frank makes it more of how we should be looking at any artwork, I'd say. Editor: That’s a great point, thank you. I'll never look at photographs the same way again!