Broadway no number 1957

Robert Frank shot this piece, Broadway no number, and as a series of frames on a roll of film, it's like a visual diary. The contrast between the stark blacks and glowing whites gives it a feeling of gritty realism. Frank’s work often feels like he’s wrestling with the medium. This wrestling is a process of discovery, of finding something new in the everyday. Look at the way the light flares around the edges of the frame, it's almost like he's using the camera to paint with light and shadow. You can almost feel the energy of the city, the blur of motion, the sense of being caught in a moment. It’s a very cinematic way of seeing, isn't it? Frank's work reminds me of some of the early street photography, like the stuff done by Helen Levitt, who also had a knack for capturing the fleeting moments of city life. It all feels very much a part of an ongoing conversation about how we see and experience the world around us.