Paris 81B 1951 - 1952

This is Robert Frank’s "Paris 81B," a contact sheet, which I imagine he made in a darkroom sometime in the 1980s. The tonal range is gorgeous, it goes from deep blacks to luminous greys, all achieved through a patient play with light and chemicals. What grabs me here is the texture of the film itself, those sprocket holes running along the edges of each frame, like the teeth of a comb. The blue marker, scrawled across the images – maybe Frank’s way of marking a selection, or perhaps just a note. It reminds me that art is made in layers, the world, the picture, the edit. It's not about one perfect moment, but all the decisions you make afterwards. You know, looking at this, I'm reminded of Ed Ruscha's artist books, which are similar in their dedication to an idea and also their apparent disregard for perfection, because perfection is just not the point. Art is an accumulation.