Bal des Beaux Arts 2 1949

This is Robert Frank’s “Bal des Beaux Arts 2”, a photogram made with gelatin silver on paper. It is not simply a photograph, but also a record of Frank’s way of working. Frank shot using a handheld Leica camera, a relatively small, fast piece of equipment, ideal for catching scenes on the go. Here, we see lengths of the negative strips themselves, rather than a carefully chosen and printed image. The very means of production are put on display. This materiality invites us to consider the larger context of photographic practice. The darkroom, the editing process, the assembly of a story from individual frames: all of this labor is normally hidden from view. Yet here it is foregrounded, much like the work of a silversmith who might leave the hammer marks visible on the surface of a bowl. The full meaning of Frank’s work emerges from this focus on materials, making, and context, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.