Camera, CBS TV studio 31--Burbank, California c. 1955 - 1956

Editor: So, this is Robert Frank’s “Camera, CBS TV studio 31--Burbank, California,” a gelatin silver print from around 1955. It has such a still and almost melancholic atmosphere, focusing on this solitary TV camera in what seems like an abandoned studio. What grabs you when you look at this image? Curator: What a haunting beauty, right? For me, it's all about the layers. Frank isn't just showing us a camera; he's revealing the soul of the machine, its own silent performance within a much grander performance. There’s the cultural obsession with television, a new, potent force back then, but presented in this quiet, almost desolate way. The abandoned studio whispers of fleeting fame, of sets struck and stories ended. Do you feel that stillness as well? Editor: Definitely, there’s almost a sense of emptiness. Do you think he’s making a comment on the medium of television itself? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe about the ephemerality of the image, of moments captured and then lost to time. It's interesting to think about, isn't it? The cold geometry of the camera versus the supposed warmth it brings into people's homes. It is quite telling, as it challenges the supposed ‘glamour’ of television at that time. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It really shifts the whole meaning for me. I initially saw it as simply documenting the technology. Curator: And isn't that the magic of art? To continuously peel back those layers and discover new perspectives? The photograph beckons us to imagine all that has transpired, but equally invites us to write our own future onto the frame. Editor: Absolutely! Now, when I look at it, I am reminded to think more critically and to pause and think about its broader social and cultural impact. Curator: Exactly, I'll certainly look differently at technology in still lifes going forward!