From the bus 89 1958

Robert Frank captured this strip of 35mm film, titled "From the bus 89", using a small, handheld camera. Photography democratized image-making. Unlike painting or sculpture, which rely on unique artistic skill, the camera is a tool of mechanical reproduction. Any person can use it to capture a likeness, as easily as riding a bus. This filmstrip provides a raw look at Frank’s process, and photography's relationship to mass production. It is a direct, unedited sequence, offering insight into his stream of consciousness. The images are imperfect, immediate, and intimate. There is a lack of formality that counters the slick, commercial photography of the time. Frank’s approach elevated the vernacular, by using photography as a tool for social commentary. He challenged established notions of artistic skill, drawing attention to the act of seeing and recording. The strip transforms everyday scenes into something significant. It prompts us to reconsider the value we place on spontaneity and artistic vision, within the context of an increasingly image-saturated world.