Lines of My Hand 73/Kennedy inauguration 1 by Robert Frank

1961

Lines of My Hand 73/Kennedy inauguration 1

Listen to curator's interpretation

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Curatorial notes

This is Robert Frank's 'Lines of My Hand 73/Kennedy Inauguration 1', a photoprint, and what strikes me about it is how it's this collection of moments, preserved in silver gelatin. Looking closely, you can see these frames, like a comic strip, each with its own story but also part of a larger narrative. The texture isn't just in the image, but in the film itself, the grain and scratches telling a tale of process, of time passing. It's raw and honest, like a diary page. The way Frank captures the light, the contrasts so stark, it gives everything a sense of urgency, a feeling of being there, in that moment. This kind of documentary approach reminds me a little of what Helen Levitt was doing at the time, capturing the everyday lives of people in New York, but with a more personal, almost melancholic touch. Ultimately, Frank invites us to see the world not just as it is, but as he felt it.