South America and Spain 14 1948

Robert Frank created this photographic work, titled "South America and Spain 14", at an unknown date. This sheet of film offers us a rare glimpse into Frank's working process. Frank, a Swiss-American photographer, is known for his raw and honest depictions of American life. As an immigrant he often felt like an outsider, which allowed him to see the undercurrents of society that others missed. He said he aimed "to show what is real, without bias". Here we can see the world through Frank's eyes, the collection of images a cross between landscape and personal space. The rows of images of a person lying in what looks like a bath, invite us to reflect on ideas around race, identity, and the human condition. This work pushes us to consider how photography can capture both the external world and the photographer's internal state. What stories do you think Frank was trying to tell here?