Raoul Hague 4 1962

Robert Frank made this contact sheet, Raoul Hague 4, by exposing light sensitive paper to strips of processed negative film. The image is a collection of different shots, a landscape, an interior, a portrait; together, the composition invites us to see the world in a fractured way. The work makes visible the usually unseen process of editing, where the artist selects the ‘best’ images to share from many variations of a similar shot. Look closely at the frame singled out by a red marker on the lower right of the sheet, a figure looking out over a body of water. This tiny image encapsulates Frank's ability to evoke a mood of loneliness and contemplation, a mood echoed across the other frames. His decision to include all the images from the shoot suggests a desire to share the journey of image making, rather than just the final product. Frank’s visual language shares some of the sensibilities of Garry Winogrand; both of them are artists who embraced the beauty of the everyday.