Streetcar--Transportation 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank shot this image, Streetcar--Transportation, with a camera, sometime in the mid-20th century. It’s small, like a little window you might carry in your pocket. The image, caught in shades of grey, is rough and grainy. Look at how the cobblestones stretch and blur – not slick, but honest. The arrow painted on the road is smudged, imperfect, like the world around us. It feels like Frank wasn’t trying to pretty things up. I find myself drawn to the lone figure on the bicycle. They are caught in motion, a fleeting moment. This makes me think about Walker Evans, another artist who found beauty in the everyday. It’s like Frank is saying, “Hey, look at this. It’s not perfect, but it’s real.” That’s what art does, it helps us see the world a little differently.