Subway no number 1955

This photographic film sheet, "Subway no number" was captured by Robert Frank sometime in the mid-20th century. Looking at these sequences of images, you get a sense of Frank's working process, his way of seeing and documenting. The high contrast, and grainy texture, give the images a raw and immediate feel, like visual notes jotted down on the go. The frames offer glimpses into the lives of ordinary people in transit. Notice the repetition of certain motifs—the stark fluorescent lights, the anonymous figures waiting on the platform. There’s a rhythm to these images, an almost musical quality. The way Frank crops and frames his subjects, you can feel him experimenting with different angles, playing with light and shadow to create a sense of depth and texture. Frank’s work reminds me of Helen Levitt, another street photographer who captured the everyday poetry of urban life, but Frank does it with that added filmic element. Art is not about answers, but about the ongoing act of seeing, questioning, and feeling our way through the world.