Street scene--Houston, Texas 1955

Robert Frank shot this street scene in Houston, Texas, and in the close-knit composition, we encounter people from all walks of life. I feel a lot of compassion for Robert, out on the street with his camera, trying to capture something about America, trying to frame some kind of truth. What was it like for him to wander and observe, trying to select just the right moment, the right people? It feels like the encounter with difference is what interests him—such different faces, clothes, hats, and expressions. The faces feel immediate, and the surface is very present. There's a kind of accidental quality, as if the picture just happened, but of course it didn’t. Like all artists, he was probably thinking about other photographs, other photographers who documented the world, trying to add his voice to the conversation. I am glad he did. Each of us tries to make sense of the world in our own way.