Newburgh, New York VI 1955

Robert Frank’s ‘Newburgh, New York VI’ is a photographic contact sheet, a collection of moments captured and laid out for consideration. What strikes me is the inherent process baked into this piece. It's not just the final image, but the whole sequence. Frank isn't trying to hide the nuts and bolts; the sprockets and frame numbers are all there, making the physicality of the medium front and center. The texture is one of pure documentary, of reportage. In this gridded narrative, each frame speaks to the other. Like a painter's studies, it shows Frank working through an idea, adjusting his composition, waiting for the right moment. This reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter’s ‘Atlas’ project. Both artists cataloguing and arranging images as a form of thinking. It's a testament to art’s capacity to embrace ambiguity and multiple perspectives.