Adlai Stevenson--Convention 4 1956

This is Robert Frank's "Adlai Stevenson--Convention 4," a photo-strip of images, made with a camera, probably in the 1950s. Looking at the strip, I can see the artist working, trying to work something out of the world, moving and shifting. The artist is trying to capture the feeling of a political convention. It’s kind of a blur of faces, lights, and symbols, like an American flag decoration! I like the off-kilter feeling, not quite right, a bit messy. It’s like the feeling of being there, not quite knowing what is happening. It reminds me of when I’m painting, trying to get something down before it disappears, or before I change my mind. The world moves fast, doesn't it? Frank makes me feel like I can go and make something myself, like it’s all possible. I think that’s what artists do for each other: we see the world, we work with it, and we show each other what we see.