Newburgh, New York VI 1955

This is Robert Frank’s photo contact sheet, Newburgh, New York VI. Imagine the darkroom, the red light, the smell of chemicals as Frank coaxes these images into being, one after another, a whole sequence laid out in front of him like a map. In each frame, a blurry world of motorcycles and onlookers emerges, trees like skinny dark pickets receding. What was he looking for? What made him circle certain frames with red grease pencil? Frank was a restless soul, always pushing, always searching, influenced by Walker Evans, but eager to break away from that older master's rigid formality. You can feel him wrestling with the medium here, chasing after something raw, something real. It's like he’s saying that the truth is out there, if you just keep looking, keep shooting. He’s not afraid to let things be a little messy, a little off-kilter. And in that messiness, you know, sometimes, you find something beautiful, something true.