New York City S3 1958

Editor: We’re looking at Robert Frank's "New York City S3," a gelatin silver print from 1958, showing what looks like a full roll of film. The mood seems somewhat melancholic, given the graininess and the contrast. It also makes the picture really raw. What do you see in this work? Curator: I appreciate your reading of the photograph. Considering it formally, let's examine the structure. The linear sequencing, presenting multiple perspectives, inherently fractures a singular, stable narrative. What impact does the black border of the film strip have, framing each scene? Editor: I see. It isolates each moment, like little compartments, so that you can compare them with each other. It calls your attention to a selected piece of reality and prompts you to ask about the choices. What, therefore, can you deduce from this presentation strategy? Curator: Precisely. The very act of isolating these "slices" suggests a conscious selection and construction of meaning. Frank disrupts the notion of photography as objective documentation, forcing the viewer to become acutely aware of the photographer's shaping presence. What meaning arises through its seriality? Editor: It emphasizes the act of observation, a progression rather than a conclusion. As if the point isn’t the scene as such but how you navigate seeing. Curator: I would agree with you. A study in subjectivity. Editor: Thank you, I have a completely different view on the work, now.