Guggenheim 323--Memphis, Tennessee 1955

This is Robert Frank's "Guggenheim 323--Memphis, Tennessee", a photographic work, and what grabs me first is the film strip itself - the literal process of photography laid bare. I imagine Frank, wandering, camera in hand, wrestling with light and shadow. What was it like for him walking around Memphis? The contact sheet shows a kind of archive of moments, like a painter's sketchbook. A train platform, people milling about, a street scene, and then – what is it? – some upside-down images circled in red grease pencil, almost like an abstract painting. You see these marks and wonder if he’s circling something special, or just editing them out. This isn't just about capturing a moment but capturing a feeling of being in the world. Frank’s photographs speak to the tradition of street photography, but they also open up an intensely personal space, a conversation with the self. He makes you see the world differently, like all great artists do.