Kite flying--Provincetown B 1957

Robert Frank made this contact sheet, "Kite flying--Provincetown B," using photography. It captures a moment, or rather, many moments, of kids flying a kite on what looks like a breezy day. The sheet is like a painter’s sketchbook, a place for trying out different angles and compositions. Frank isn’t trying to hide the process here, it’s all laid bare on the surface. You can see the marks and notations right on the film. That big red ‘B’ scrawled next to one frame, makes me think of a painter’s mark, a decision made right on the canvas. Look at the repetition of images, the subtle shifts in perspective. It’s like he’s searching for something, not just the perfect shot, but maybe a feeling, a memory. I’m reminded of Gerhard Richter's series of blurred photographs, both artists using the camera to explore the elusive nature of perception, embracing the blur, the imperfection, as a way to get closer to some kind of truth.