Valencia, Spain 13 1952

Editor: This is “Valencia, Spain 13” by Robert Frank, a gelatin-silver print from 1952. It's a contact sheet, filled with small, documentary-style snapshots of daily life. What strikes me is how raw and immediate it feels; like looking through someone's discarded memories. How do you see this collection of images reflecting the society and the art world of the time? Curator: Contact sheets like this reveal much about the photographic process, something typically hidden from the viewer. Frank presents his proofing process as the final artwork, defying established norms of photographic display common to museums. What political or aesthetic choices could be embedded in this specific way of presenting photos? Editor: I hadn't considered it as a deliberate choice. So you're suggesting it's a commentary on the established photographic order? It feels less about staged artistry, and more about candid observation. Curator: Precisely. And who decides which observations get shown, framed, and legitimized within the gallery system? In a society recovering from WWII, the common person starts being regarded with a growing interest, against epic, heroic portrayals of an older aesthetic. Notice the children at play, scenes from everyday life – how does Frank use the mundane to speak about a larger Spanish identity? Editor: So, he's subverting expectations of what is considered valuable or worthy of being presented as art by elevating slices of daily life. Is this, perhaps, his way of democratizing the art experience? Curator: In a sense, yes. By choosing this contact sheet, Frank allows us access to the editing choices, a glimpse into his process. He’s not just showing us Valencia; he's showing us *how* he sees Valencia. Editor: That's fascinating! I always thought a contact sheet was simply a tool, but it clearly says a lot about the artist’s choices and intentions. Curator: Exactly. Considering photography’s power as social commentary at this time, this piece asks us to consider what it means to document reality and who gets to decide what stories are told.