Guggenheim 167--Inauguration, Washington, D.C. 1957

Curator: Okay, let's discuss Robert Frank’s “Guggenheim 167—Inauguration, Washington, D.C.,” from 1957, a gelatin silver print. Editor: Right. The work is laid out as the contact sheet, showing the unedited images from the shoot, marked up, and showing cars, people and crowds and has a stark documentary feel. What do you see in this contact sheet? Curator: Frank's choice of the contact sheet as the final form really speaks to me. By showing the entire process—the outtakes, the marks—he’s demystifying the photographic process and, perhaps, the myth of the perfect image. Think about the labor involved. The choices inherent in photography aren’t solely aesthetic, they're about what to include, exclude, and, crucially, what to reproduce and disseminate. What statement do you believe that it's making in leaving the physical traces of selection on the film? Editor: That's really interesting; so by leaving these photos unedited, we get a sense of realness of an unpolished artwork in the raw process? Curator: Exactly! We have a glimpse into Frank's thought processes as well. Notice, the medium and materials are doing the work here. The contact sheet itself is a physical artifact of a specific moment in time, highlighting not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ of image production and how he is playing with those high art values by bringing in that labor value. Do you see it as critical of, or simply documenting, American society at the time? Editor: I now see both! But previously I viewed it only as a form of art reflecting the political system, in that by focusing on the details like crowd scenes he wanted to highlight how the public play an important part in making a President's day such a significant event! The photos aren’t highly polished, showing the materials of street photography from this event as they really happened in real-time! Thanks for the deep-dive on process! Curator: My pleasure. I think focusing on the physical elements really changes our relationship with the artwork. It gives an appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that contributes to American photographic history.