Paris 2B 1951 - 1952

Editor: This is *Paris 2B*, a gelatin silver print photograph by Robert Frank, dating from 1951 or '52. It’s, uh, a contact sheet… Raw. I see all these moments, a kind of disjointed narrative, hinting at stories. It's far from the perfectly posed photos you typically see. What strikes you about this contact sheet, this almost random selection of moments? Curator: Random, maybe, but even “randomness” whispers intention, don’t you think? This isn’t a polished pearl; it’s the oyster cracked open, the grit and shimmer exposed. I’m fascinated by the glimpses of mid-century Paris, raw and unromanticised, not filtered through the rose-tinted lenses of a travelogue. Do you get a sense of voyeurism, perhaps? The photographer is moving around, an almost restless energy comes through. Editor: Yes, absolutely. It feels like Frank isn’t trying to present a single, defined image, but offering us snippets, fragments of a larger experience. The frame with the mannequin feels particularly significant – a stark representation, a kind of commentary of its own? Curator: Good eye. It’s the layering of reality and artifice, I think. The artificial figure amidst the chaos of city life – almost as if he's pondering: What *is* reality anyway? Also note how he contrasts light and shadows – Frank does a wonderful job in capturing tonal values, which is especially highlighted through this contact sheet. This gives it an element of visual storytelling which some may overlook in one photograph. Do you see a pattern here? Editor: It's true. There is no specific sequence; more of an overarching impression created as the viewers’ eyes dart through the film roll, grasping little pieces along the way. I had missed the contrast in tonal values, although, thinking about it, there's a specific feel that wouldn't exist without this artistic element! Curator: Precisely! We come to appreciate this snapshot from Frank’s viewpoint more fully, viewing Paris as both subject and a means to further emphasize contrasts. It’s an amazing look at the making of a story and what matters to one’s individual style. Editor: Thanks, I see how Frank captured a story there through its artistic direction.