Madison Avenue--New York City no number c. early 1950s

Robert Frank made this sheet of black and white photos of Madison Avenue, New York City. It’s interesting, looking at this piece, thinking about how Frank might have made it. The images are arranged like a film strip and they seem to be exploring something about perception and the relationship between inside and outside. What I see are the storefront windows, people and traffic reflected in the glass. It seems like Frank was capturing the fleeting moments, the daily life, but also making us think about what’s real and what’s not, what is revealed and what’s concealed. There is a blurred quality to the photographs, an ethereal vibe to them which reminds me of Cy Twombly’s work. I can imagine Robert Frank, walking around New York City, just snapping away, trying to capture something real.