Various family S26 c. 1949 - 1950

Robert Frank made 'Various family S26' using gelatin silver print, and what gets me is how he captures fleeting moments. It's like he's reaching for something just beyond grasp, a feeling that is very tangible, very real. I am drawn to the physical quality of the print – that stark contrast between black and white and the varying tonalities, which gives depth. The granular texture adds to the intimacy, as if we’re looking at a memory, a fleeting moment. Look at the flags in the early frames. Note how they bend and blur as Frank seems to track their movement with his camera. Each frame is full of detail that invites us to slow down and observe. Frank's work always reminds me of other photographers like Garry Winogrand, who was also obsessed with capturing the everyday. But Frank's got this melancholy, this quiet searching that’s all his own. It makes you think about how we see, what we choose to remember, and how art can hold onto those moments that might otherwise slip away.