Alfred Leslie--Painters no number c. 1950s

Robert Frank shot this black and white photo, Alfred Leslie - Painters no number, sometime during his career as a photographer. It’s a strip of negatives documenting Alfred Leslie in his studio, working on a painting. Frank is interested in painters and what they do, which is a conversation among artists. There’s Alfred, a lone figure. He is literally in the act of painting, brush in hand, with a painting that shows the traces of action. The marks on the canvas are bold, confident gestures, with visible drips. There is a sense of urgency, and a very physical process of applying paint. I wonder what Frank was thinking when he was taking these photos? I love how art inspires art, it’s like one long conversation. We all inform each other, don’t we?