Cowboys no number 1954

This is Robert Frank’s photographic contact sheet, "Cowboys no number". Though undated, it offers an insight into his working methods and his understanding of photography as a process. The material aspect of photography is often overlooked, but here it's front and center. We see the grain of the film, the sprocket holes that run along the edges, and the individual frames laid out in a grid. These elements construct the images that show cowboys standing in groups, moving or interacting with each other. The high contrast and stark blacks and whites create a palpable sense of tension and grit. If you focus on the middle row, you can see how Frank varies the angles and compositions, moving around the scene. It’s almost as if he’s trying to capture the essence of a moment, not just its surface appearance. This reminds me of Walker Evans, who also sought to document the everyday realities of American life with a similar sense of detachment and observation. Like painting, photography is a form that embraces ambiguity, inviting us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.