Robert Frank

Robert Frank is an important figure in american photography, film and art history. His most notable work is the black and white photographic book titled ‘The Americans’ (1959) that was influential in the post-war period and helped the nation to see itself more clearly.

In 1955 he started a two year road trip across the United States and photographed its society in the main American Cities such as Detroit, Michigan, Georgia, Maiami, St.Petersburg, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana, Huston, Texas, Los Angeles, Chicago and much more. In that time he took an incredible amount of shots, around 28,000 and later selected only 83 for the publication of the book. After returning to New York in 1957, Frank met writer Jack Kerouac which contributed to the introduction of the U.S. edition of “The Americans”. In this book the photographers intention is to investigate American culture and its diversity. He documented the tensions between the optimism of the 1950s and the realities of class and racial differences. America is symbolized in his work by jukeboxes, graves, urinals, crosses, tenements, trolleys, bars, cafeterias and department stores. Frank looks beneath the surface of american life to reveal people plagued by racism, ill-served by their politicians and rendered numb by the rapidly expanding consumer culture. I belive this book is one of the strongest reportage ever made in the U.S.

Bibliography:

·The Americans, Robert Frank and Jack Kerouak (Author) 2008

·Robert Frank: London Wales, Steidl Publishers 2007

·Robert Frank, Video ITV1 2004

·transmopolitis.com/2009/09/robert-franks-masterpierce-the-americans

·tate.or.uk/modern/exibitions/frank/about