William F. Buckley, Jr. for "Mademoiselle" 2 1961

Editor: We’re looking at Robert Frank’s "William F. Buckley, Jr. for "Mademoiselle" 2," a gelatin-silver print from 1961. It’s a series of frames from a film strip, showing Buckley in different poses. There is something very informal about this portrait, despite its serious subject, I wonder what was Frank trying to tell us? What do you make of this, viewed in the context of the time it was made? Curator: Seeing these contact sheets together like this, you understand the performance that goes into image making, how the socio-political stage is set. We are not looking at candid documentary truth here, despite the gritty, 'snapshot aesthetic’ that Frank adopted, following the example of photographers like Lisette Model. These photos were clearly commissioned by Mademoiselle magazine; can we really imagine they were disinterested in shaping Buckley's image, particularly for a youth audience? Editor: That’s a great point. So you’re saying that even in seemingly candid shots, there’s still a constructed narrative at play? That maybe, photography doesn’t necessarily capture a moment in reality, but almost engineers a certain perspective on it. Curator: Precisely! Consider how magazines curate their image; this piece originally ran alongside an interview, constructing an elaborate representation of this young conservative icon, which is something magazines, museums and media outlets do all the time: they shape perceptions. It invites you to consider, who is in control of how someone is seen. Who controls what and who we look up to? Editor: I never thought about magazines controlling perspective, only selling clothes! This makes me rethink how I consume images in media and understand them. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, art offers an alternative entry point for viewing media images with critical perspective, inviting one to rethink their relation with imagery, the media, and social norms.