Guggenheim 520--Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, Universal City, California 1956

Curator: Here we have Robert Frank's "Guggenheim 520—Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, Universal City, California," taken in 1956, a gelatin-silver print offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Hollywood. Editor: The visual rhythm of the frame itself is striking. All of the frames and shots juxtaposed really creates this anxious atmosphere, right? You see a rigid corporate studio executive working diligently but then some shots that capture the bare landscapes where they film Westerns, creating a disconnect. Curator: It certainly points to that tension. I notice how the recurrent image of the framed picture within some of the filmstrip's individual frames emphasizes the layers of representation involved in creating images. We’re seeing images within images, pointing to ideas about perception, about constructed realities, and about our consumption of stories. Editor: That's perceptive. Formally, I’m drawn to the play of light and shadow, and the high contrast creates a strong sense of depth, dividing and segmenting a surface-level gloss. It’s really that repetition, not of form so much but of mise-en-scène, that strikes me—desks, props, all symbols of this manufactured dream-space. Curator: Absolutely. It’s as though Frank is dismantling the image-making machine by showing us the repetitive actions, the sets, the man working dutifully and creating images. It invites contemplation on the meaning and cultural impact of filmmaking itself and suggests how myth and reality are always bound up together. The executive, working in that very stark, bright studio…there is an emptiness there. It feels so unnatural to observe. Editor: The work is visually compelling and intellectually stimulating, right? Frank invites us to consider the framework behind the silver screen, creating almost like a negative film reel, in an ironic twist. Curator: I think that's right. A powerful and unsettling comment on American culture. Editor: Yes, Frank’s sharp composition leaves me wondering how the Hollywood myths we all absorb really structure our thoughts and desires, ultimately.