Man in bank--San Francisco 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, Man in bank--San Francisco, using gelatin silver. The grayscale gives it a timeless feel, yet the composition and the people, all caught up in their separate acts, gives a sense of place. Look closely at the man in the foreground, his face etched with lines like a topographical map, and the hat that looks like it’s been through a few storms. He’s framed by the metal architecture of the bank stand, the date April 6, Friday clearly legible; this geometric structure contrasts with his weathered face. The marks on the paper are blurred, we can only guess as to their contents. Maybe the marks are a trace of the process and the real subject of this shot is labour and bureaucracy, caught in a moment. Frank’s work has always reminded me of Walker Evans. Both artists found a way to frame everyday life in ways that linger in your mind. Like a half-remembered dream, it’s a bit unsettling, but also deeply familiar.