courtesy of Sotheby's
Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank, who created the iconic photographic study The Americans, has been hailed as a latter-day deTocqueville for his visual chronicling of American life in the 1950's. His book of photographs, which was initially published in Paris and later in America with an introduction by Jack Kerouac, ripped away the placid veneer of '50's America, revealing a country torn between hope and despair, between a sense of community and personal loneliness and between the ideals of equality and the reality of injustice.
Frank had an unsentimental view not only of his adopted country but also of the medium of photography. While most photographers of the era produced glossy, fantasy versions of American life, Frank, who was inspired by photographers like Walker Evans, sought out the gritty and contradictory reality of the nation. He was also a dedicated artist, who took over 28,000 shots to produce the 83 photos reproduced in his book.
Frank's style was decidedly analog -- a refreshing reminder of earlier authenticity in our digital age. Some of the photographs are slightly blurred, and all have a fresh and spontaneous texture, despite the fact that they were carefully chosen. While his subject matter may sometimes feel random, there is a workmanlike juxtaposition of image and theme, which is never obvious but always impactful.
Religious symbols frequently appear, along with images of the American flag, gentle reminders not so much of religion or patriotism, but rather of the role of symbols in American life. Politics, celebrity and commercialism are also frequent themes, with the hollowness of American popular and political culture juxtaposed against the loneliness, despair and poverty of many Americans.
Seventy-seven of the photos from the collection of Ruth and Jake Bloom have been touring, beginning in Paris and later in San Francisco and Los Angeles. They will be on exhibit in New York beginning on December 12th prior to an auction at Sotheby's on December 17th.