Crowd before waterfront 1945

Robert Frank shot this photograph, “Crowd before waterfront,” with a camera and film. The image is mostly dark. Shapes cluster in the foreground; you can make out the backs of people's heads. Everyone is looking toward something further off. What I see here is Frank's decision to shoot this image, and how his eye was responding to a moment. He must have been captivated by this mass of people who are watching something. I wonder what it was like to stand there in the crowd next to him? Were they restless? Did he feel a kinship with them? You know, in a crowd, you're alone but together; it is a kind of human texture. I love the fact that the whole thing is almost a blur. It’s like he wants us to feel the in-between space of being in a crowd. It’s not about the individuals but the collective experience. I can only imagine the dialogue with other photographers that he might have had and the cross-pollination of ideas that might have occurred. Photography is a form of expression, and it is an ever-evolving journey that embraces uncertainty and welcomes diverse interpretations.