Elderly delegate, convention hall--Chicago 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, Elderly delegate, convention hall--Chicago, sometime in the mid-20th century, with a camera, of course. What grabs me is the push and pull between clarity and blur. Look at the woman’s face—it’s so present, so etched with experience. But then, the people around her seem to dissolve into the background, almost like ghosts. Frank wasn’t interested in slick perfection. You can see the graininess of the film, the way the light catches certain edges and throws others into shadow. It's this rawness that gives the image its power, and this is a testament to Frank’s distinctive style as a street photographer. I love the way he captures these fleeting moments. It’s like he’s saying, "Here is life, in all its messy, imperfect glory." It reminds me of some of the work of Garry Winogrand, who also had this knack for capturing the energy of the street, the feeling of being right there in the middle of it all. For me, art is about finding those moments of truth, those little cracks in the surface where something real shines through.