Historic set, NBC TV studio--Burbank, California c. 1955 - 1956

This is a black and white photograph by Robert Frank of an NBC TV studio in Burbank, California. It’s a quiet moment amidst the chaos of a TV set, all captured in Frank’s signature grainy, high-contrast style. Look at the layers of reality here: a staged historical scene juxtaposed with the very real, very modern equipment of television production. There is a tension there. The composition, that is, what Frank has chosen to include and exclude from the frame, gives a sense of immediacy. The way he has used shadow and light helps to flatten the image so that these different elements sit alongside each other on the surface of the photograph. Frank was a master of capturing the everyday, and turning it into something profound. This image, with its slightly off-kilter composition, reminds me of the work of Garry Winogrand, who also had a knack for finding beauty in the mundane. This photo is a reminder that art is everywhere, you just have to look for it.