London 1952 - 1953

This photo by Robert Frank shows a street scene in London with a child running away from us, and a hearse taking someone away. Looking at this image, I imagine Robert Frank, maybe feeling a little alienated, looking through the lens, framing this moment in time. He’s capturing something very elusive and fleeting. A kid on the street and a death car. What does it all mean? The photograph is grainy, and this texture almost feels like a painting in gray and black. It reminds me of the work of photographers like Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus, who were also trying to capture the gritty realities of everyday life. But what I like about it is the way the artist embraces the uncertainty and messiness of life. I keep looking at it, and I am not sure what to feel. And I think that’s what artists do, they put things in a room together and make us feel differently.