Subway no number 1955

Robert Frank's photographic film, “Subway no number,” presents multiple strips of images, each a potential narrative. The composition of these strips laid out next to each other makes me think of a painter trying out different ideas on a single canvas. I wonder about Frank’s process, what he was thinking when he took these shots. I imagine he sought to capture the feeling of being on the subway, the fleeting moments of life passing by through the windows. The texture of the film and the graininess of the image all contribute to the feeling of a gritty urban landscape. The sequence of shots might also speak to the cinematic quality of photography; the images are like a storyboard. Looking at the whole piece, I think about artists like Gerhard Richter, who also explore the boundaries between photography and painting. Robert Frank has captured something unique and enduring about the human condition, and that’s what makes his work so compelling.