Paris 57B 1951 - 1952

Robert Frank made this contact sheet, *Paris 57B*, sometime in the middle of the 20th century, using black and white film and a marker pen. The marks have a provisional quality; Frank is working through the world, looking for the right shot and framing it with a blue grease pencil. Look at how the blue markings contrast with the grayscale images. These marks aren't about hiding the process; they are the process. Notice how the edges are a little rough. This isn't slick perfection; it's about immediacy and making decisions in real time. The texture of the film itself adds to this raw, unfiltered feel. The images are small, like memories or fleeting impressions, but the marks are bold and assertive. The repetition of the images creates a rhythm, like flipping through a sketchbook, which reminds me of the way that Agnes Martin, who was a huge influence on my own work, would work in grids to capture a sense of fleeting, elusive moments. It's a reminder that art is often about exploration, not just about the final product.