Parade 1941 - 1945

Editor: This is Robert Frank’s "Parade," a black and white photograph, printed sometime between 1941 and 1945. It’s… surprisingly geometric. Almost flattened. I’m really struck by the strong diagonals and how they intersect. What do you see in this piece, from a formalist point of view? Curator: Primarily, I observe a rigorous employment of photographic space. The aerial perspective radically compresses depth, rendering the marching band into nearly abstract shapes. Note how Frank uses light and shadow to create contrasting rhythms, almost like musical notation on the surface. Are you drawn to anything specific about its materiality as a print? Editor: I’m interested in the gray scale—it’s so consistent, it nearly negates the sense of depth. It makes me question the photograph as a true representation of the event. What about the choice of viewpoint? It’s so unusual, almost detached. Curator: Precisely. The high vantage point serves not only to flatten the pictorial space, but also to depersonalize the subjects. We, as viewers, are positioned outside the scene, distanced. This compositional decision transforms individual faces and identities into patterns within a broader design. The negative space, shaped by the flags and the architectural details, becomes as important as the figures themselves. Do you find the repetition compelling? Editor: Definitely. It’s mesmerizing how the figures become a pattern. The way the geometry works with, and against, the theme is fascinating. Curator: Indeed, the image uses geometry and the relationship between its different sections to ask more about our relationship to societal structure. This careful selection of form provides a potent means of interpretation. Editor: I learned how Frank’s specific viewpoint really does influence the understanding of what photography as an art form really means!