Horses--Farming 1941 - 1945

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, "Horses--Farming," at an unknown date. The grayscale gives it a timeless quality, like a memory or a dream. It’s about capturing a moment, not just documenting a scene. Look at how the horses are framed, almost cut off. It’s a raw, immediate kind of seeing. The texture of the horses’ bodies is so palpable, you can feel the weight and the work they're doing. The contrast between the dark, worked earth and the lighter sky creates a tension. It’s not just a pretty picture. The way Frank cropped the horses, it reminds me of Degas' paintings of horses, but Frank is way more punk, more in your face, even though the picture is quiet. I guess art's always talking to itself, across time. And that’s what’s so cool about art, right? It never tells you what to think.