London 62 1952 - 1953

Editor: This is "London 62," a gelatin-silver print by Robert Frank, created between 1952 and 1953. The collection of images layered together seems to portray an eerie streetscape. What do you make of the use of such stark monochrome tones? Curator: Monochrome, isn't it curious? I see more than the absence of color; it is almost a character of itself. With these film strips assembled together, it becomes a layered meditation on fleeting moments, wouldn't you agree? Do you catch the hum of the city, almost a quiet symphony that's slightly melancholic? I feel as if I'm looking through someone’s hazy memories, fragmented and raw, like life! Editor: Absolutely! It's funny that you say memories... I initially saw the strips more like "behind the scenes" access and how the photographer got the final shot... or it’s more like a personal journal. Was he aiming to document a city, or just personal emotion, here? Curator: Or, perhaps a love letter? Frank found beauty in what others dismissed as grit. What others call imperfection is what gives the photos a palpable honesty. I always admire Frank’s rebellious eye – he isn't documenting so much as he's dreaming aloud on film. What do you take away from all these hazy figures in this visual poem? Editor: It almost romanticizes the isolation and the chaos within urban living… Curator: Exactly! It’s a glimpse, fleeting, genuine. "London 62" transforms London into a feeling, a mood… Editor: It makes you want to rummage through old photos of your own. Curator: It does, doesn’t it? To see what whispers remain. Thanks for this conversation!