Flower vendor on street, Paris 1951

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print called, "Flower vendor on street, Paris," sometime in the 20th century, and look how he's captured a moment, a pause, a transaction in the everyday. The textures in this image feel almost palpable, from the rough bark of the trees to the slickness of the wet pavement. But it’s that tiny flower in the foreground, almost lost against the expanse of the street, that really grabs me. It’s this small, delicate thing in a world of shadows, and how Frank chose to frame it, gives it such presence. Frank’s photographs, like those of his contemporary, Helen Levitt, celebrate the vernacular, transforming something ordinary into something meaningful. I think that's what art is all about, isn't it? Taking a second look, finding the poetry in the mundane.