Christmas--New York City no number

This photographic contact sheet of New York City at Christmas, was made by Robert Frank. He seemed to like the edges. Look at these images! They have a raw, unpolished feel, like sketches in a visual diary. The high contrast, the graininess, the way some shots are blurry. It's like Frank isn't trying to impress anyone, he's just capturing a fleeting moment, a feeling. See how one set of frames captures the advert for the Judy Garland film 'A Star Is Born'? He's showing us what he saw, not what he thought we wanted to see. It reminds me of the work of Garry Winogrand, another street photographer who captured the chaotic energy of city life. Both artists share a certain immediacy, a sense of being right there in the thick of things, capturing life as it unfolds. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be pretty or perfect. Sometimes, it's the raw, unfiltered glimpses that are the most powerful.