Gandy Brodie--Painters no number c. 1950s

Here we see Robert Frank's photographic contact sheet for "Gandy Brodie--Painters no number". The overall impression is a serial study in monochrome. The grid-like structure of the contact sheet presents us with a visual rhythm, each frame a variation on a theme, emphasizing form and process. Frank uses the frame not just as a border but as a structural element. Within each photograph, Brodie is captured in various poses, often within his studio, an intimate space defined by rectangular forms and the stark contrast of light and shadow. The blue markings suggest selection and editing, further underscoring the artist's process of distillation. Frank's focus on the materiality of the photographic strip and the act of editing destabilizes the notion of a singular image. Instead, we are presented with a multiplicity of perspectives, a fragmented narrative that invites us to consider the act of seeing and representing.