Whitney 7 1958

Robert Frank made this photograph, Whitney 7, using black and white film. I love how Frank embraces the roll of film as his canvas. It’s a meta-artwork that reveals a view of other artworks. The sprocket holes are like the weave of a canvas, reminding us of the materiality of art. The strip of film becomes a kind of readymade, almost like a drawing. It’s not just about the perfect shot; it’s about the sequence, the accidents, and the outtakes. Look at the variations in focus and exposure, the way some frames are sharp and others blurry. These remind us that art is always a process of selection and editing. The repetition and the subtle shifts between frames create a rhythm, much like the brushstrokes in a Gerhard Richter painting. It’s about capturing a moment, but also about the passage of time, and how we experience art in motion.