MacArthur Parade--Early New York City 1 c. 1950 - 1951

Here's Robert Frank's 'MacArthur Parade--Early New York City 1,' a photographic contact sheet, a matrix of moments captured, developed, and pressed onto paper. I can almost feel Frank in the darkroom, hunched over, his hands guiding the paper through the developer. I feel his curiosity and his excitement looking at what he captured! In this one we can see so many images on a roll, a parade that becomes like a serial, stop-motion animation of urban life. There are cops behind the lines and horses with uniformed riders. I can almost feel the energy, the people, and the moment. Isn’t it fascinating how a single piece of paper can hold so much? Each image feels like a sketch, a gesture, a quick notation in a visual diary, each relating to another, each speaking its own truth. Frank’s process reminds us that art isn’t about perfection; it’s about the journey, the discovery, and the conversation that unfolds between the artist and the world. And then, between the artist and us.