Building interior--Lincoln, Nebraska 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, "Building interior--Lincoln, Nebraska," with a camera and film, tools that capture light and shadow, freezing a moment in time. The grayscale gives it a timeless quality, like a memory fading at the edges. Look at the contrast here. The high-key space in the background makes the figures walking through that part of the room like ghosts. Frank doesn’t want to obscure or conceal the process of the photo, and we can feel this in the graininess of the print. On the right of the frame, the figure on the bench is heavy with shadow. They’re hunched over in a way that conveys vulnerability, a stark contrast to the figures in the background walking through the light, detached. Frank invites us into a conversation about the complexities of the human experience. It reminds me of Diane Arbus, another artist who wasn't afraid to look at the world head-on. It’s not about answers, but about embracing the questions.