Switzerland no number 1959

This photographic work by Robert Frank shows six strips of film with images of crowds in Zurich in 1959. I am not sure why Frank decided to present his images like this. Perhaps he wanted to make a point about the photographic process itself. Maybe it was about the seriality of the images, and the way that they build up to create a narrative. Looking at these strips, I wonder what Frank was thinking as he wandered through the streets of Zurich, camera in hand. Did he feel a sense of detachment from the crowd, or did he feel like he was a part of it? Did he feel like he was capturing something real, or was he creating something new? The images are grainy, and the composition is loose. There is a rawness to them that I find appealing. I see echoes of other photographers who were interested in capturing the everyday, like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Garry Winogrand. But Frank's work has a darker edge, a sense of unease that sets it apart. It makes me want to pick up my own camera and wander the streets, looking for moments of truth.