Valencia, Spain 34 1952

This is Robert Frank’s film contact sheet, Valencia, Spain 34. I love the way the artist marks up his photos with a red pen. It reminds me of when I go into the studio, with all my ideas floating around. I begin, adding layer upon layer, until something emerges. I can almost see Frank doing the same here. He has this roll of film, and he’s looking to isolate particular shots. What catches his eye? What tells the story he wants to tell? It’s a dance between intention and intuition. A constant process of choosing and discarding until the final image is revealed. Looking at the images, I wonder if he felt like he was working on the street, moving amongst people, not just observing but feeling the pulse of the city. You can feel the texture of the film and grain and you can almost smell the developer! Frank, like all artists, was in conversation with those who came before, and those who will come after. It's this continuous exchange of ideas that keeps art alive. It's about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.