Fourth of July—Jay, New York 1956

Robert Frank made this photograph, Fourth of July—Jay, New York, sometime in the mid-twentieth century. It's a small black and white image, and, like much of Frank’s work, it feels immediate, a snapshot. What strikes me is the materiality of the print itself. The image is soft, grainy and slightly blurred, but the composition feels very considered. A crowd of people sit on a verge, with a large house behind, viewed from below, looking up at the scene. There’s a certain flatness and awkwardness to the photo. The house feels like a prop, and the crowd are like actors in a play. There’s a melancholy mood to this image, and it reminds me of the work of Walker Evans. Both artists share a similar documentary style that captures the everyday lives of ordinary people, and both hint at the complexities beneath the surface of American life. Frank’s photographs are never just about what’s in front of the camera. They are about something bigger, more profound.