Robert Frank and his Fascination with American Culture

Robert Frank was born in Zürich Switzerland in 1924, making his life as a Jewish individual extremely difficult during his early years. Frank was fortunate to have a father with a successful business and he grew up in a relatively economically comfortable home, he was also fortunate enough to live in one of the few European countries not facing harsh anti-semitic acts from Hitler and the Nazis.

In 1947, Frank decided to leave Switzerland and move to New York. He began working for a fashion magazine, however, his career in the fashion industry was short-lived after receiving a Guggenheim fellowship that would enable him to travel the United States and take pictures in 1955. This fellowship allowed him to travel cross-country and eventually create his book The Americans.

His documentary, The Americans, was composed of eighty-three photographs, where Frank used his camera skills to capture political and social phenomenons throughout the fifty states. The book explores the different people across the nation; urban, rural, poor, rich, black, white, etc., giving Robert Frank the power to reveal the political and social norms all across the country. The Americans was known for its honesty and truth behind each image, exposing all the good and the bad within the country. The book was published in the United States in 1959, during the civil rights movement. Many of his images were used to provoke viewers and give a better understanding of the attitudes in society with regard to African Americans. This ideology is represented in his image of a New Orleans Trolley, where the distinction between races is evident. 

Trolley, New Orleans, 1955

The timing of this book made racism clear to many people who were unaware of the extent to which it was occurring within their own country. Not only did he take pictures that were obviously meant to reveal the white supremacy in the nation, but his thematic and conceptual styling is what truly made The Americans so innovative at the time. He took pictures of images like people riding motorcycles or sitting and eating lunch because he was amazed with the casualty among these activities in America. He used his images to show American society without posing his subjects, simply fascinated by the everyday lives and culture that he was seeing as an outsider.

Indianapolis, 1956

San Francisco, 1956

As a Jewish man, Frank was aware of how devastating attacks against one’s culture can be, and his own hardships greatly impacted his subjects and the way he wanted his photography to be perceived.

Alexa,

This is a good start to your final project but you need to edit as well as add to this opening statement. Switzerland, where Frank grew up, was NOT under Nazi control. It was neutral. Had it been under Nazi control, Frank would have been murdered by the Germans. I think that you need to rewrite to indicate that Frank lived as a Jew in one of the few countries in Europe that was not subjected to the Holocaust. It wasn’t just Hitler’s beliefs and antisemitism that mattered; it was Germany’s actions and genocide.

You also need to edit your statement by breaking it into shorter paragraphs for online viewing. For example, “In 1947 . . .” could be the beginning of a new paragraph, as could “The timing . . . “.

The specific photographs that you have included should be integrated into the text. Why did you choose these photographs?

I am looking forward to seeing what your own plans are for the final project.

DDM

The Techniques of Robert Frank In My Own Photography

Robert Frank used his book, The American’s, as a way of sharing his own perspective on America as an outsider looking in. Growing up in Europe and moving to the United States was a big shift in culture for Robert Frank, and he used this photo series as a way of expressing his feelings of separation from society while living in America. This series of photographs challenged the way many people viewed documentary work in terms of technique and skill.

Documentary photography was typically used by artists in a very obvious approach, without any silver-lining message behind the image. However, I believe that Robert Frank decided to use The Americans in challenging these traditional ways. Most images that were viewed as exceptional in the public eye were perfectly exposed images with sharp angles and contrast. However, Frank went against these methods and took blurry, grainy images that were both under and over exposed. He chose to capture imperfection that would generate emotion from his audience and give a different experience from each image, rather than creating a sense of unity among all his photographs. He was known for distorting images and cropping them in extreme ways. In Market, Hollywood, 1955, Robert Frank shows his unique cropping skills in the way that the main subject’s entire body is cut out of the image. The way he cut off her image at a seemingly unusual place reflects his feelings on America as a foreigner; dark and alienated.

Ranch Market, Hollywood, 1955

 

When taking my own photographs, I plan to incorporate Robert Frank’s ideology of being an outsider looking in on his subjects. Frank took his picture as an observer, without attempting to pose his subjects. In my own images, I will use this strategy by taking pictures of strangers who I have no connection to, and who I am outsider to from their perspective. One of his most significant styling choices was his unedited, high contrast images. His process of using unrefined images was done in a way that allowed his interpretation of America to be a variety of different feelings and emotions, rather than creating a documentary that sums up one main idea about an entire country. His straightforward approach and high contrast were also techniques I will attempt to imitate in my images. I will take pictures in which the black and white were very distinct, and I will not edit or touch-up any of my images, in an effort to embody Robert Frank’s honest approach in his photography. 

 

Frank focused heavily on a few different aspects of American society that amazed him the most. He often took pictures of people in cars. He felt that cars allowed individuals to hide from the world surrounding them, and he used the unmanipulated images of people alone in their cars to reflect a feeling of escape from the outside world. In my work, I will use this sense of isolating that Robert Frank was trying to convey as a focus for many of my images. I will photograph people alone, without any distractions from people or the world. I will try to represent the sense of loneliness in my work that Frank shows in his images of people in cars.

US 90 route to Del Rio, Texas 1955-56

 

Frank also took pictures of lunch counters at local restaurants. He chose to photograph working class people who were eating quickly, moving in and out of the restaurant as they headed back to work. He was fascinated by the way strangers would sit next to each other in such close quarters. This concept was fairly new to him, since European’s would not sit next to strangers as they ate their meals. His focus on such a simple aspect of American lifestyle again reflects his feelings of being an outsider and seeing uniqueness in American culture that an American’s may oversee, missing an opportunity to capture such honest images in the way that Frank did.

Drugstore lunch counter, detroit, 1955

 

Robert Frank used unconventional approaches in his photography as a way of provoking audiences and creating a reaction through emotion. I believe purpose in shooting The Americans was to expose the corruptness and culture of a society he was not entirely family with. While his methods were often criticized for their imperfections, they gave him the ability to freeze both time and the beliefs, societal views, and emotions that were present during this controversial time in United States History.

Alexa,

I’m confused by this methodology. I’m also confused about your characterization. I don’t think that Frank set out to produce a documentary of America. Nor did he intend to expose corruptness of American society. He specifically said he wanted to observe and record American society. You are giving him a political purpose, it seems, that may have been read into his photographs after they were published.

I also can’t figure out what type of photographs you intend to take. Will you picture people in their cars? You write in the past tense that you “incorporated” elements of Frank’s approach. Have you already taken photographs? If so, it would be helpful if you could reflect more systematically on your methodology.

Please break up your paragraphs into smaller units. Your first paragraph in this section is way too long.

DDM

“The Americans” Through My Lens

Photo Gallery:

Two photos I will discuss in my analysis:

Slideshow 1 (I could not make a slideshow so this is a gallery in a particular sequence I have chosen:

Slideshow 2 (Robert Frank’s photographs that matter to me)

Robert Frank was a Jewish artist who left his home in Switzerland and traveled to the United States in hopes of pursuing his career and becoming a professional photographer. Frank is known for shooting magnificent pictures throughout the country, especially in his documentary work The Americans. The Americans gave him the opportunity to travel the country in an effort to observe and record American society. As a European man, Robert Frank’s outsider perspective in his photography is evident. When taking my own photographs, I learned a lot about the process in which Frank shot his images. Before taking my images, I was under the impression that taking pictures of strangers and trying to convey a sense of isolation would be easy. I thought that Robert Frank just took photographs of people that he found interested or aesthetically pleasing. 

 

However, while taking my own photos, I was able to understand much more about the way Robert Frank went about taking his pictures and the skill required to capture an individual’s emotions and way of life while also leaving the impression that the picture was candid. When I initially shot my pictures, I focused a lot on making sure the image was “perfect” in its contrast, sharpness, and quality. However, as I kept shooting I noticed my images were missing the authenticity that Frank was able to capture in his pictures. I realized I needed to focus more on the individual being shot and their own emotions and actions rather than focus mainly on the image and the technical elements of the photograph. In doing so, I learned a lot about Robert Frank’s process in his photography and how he used imperfections in his images to highlight the attitudes and feelings of his subjects at the time. 

 

Another thing I noticed about Frank’s process while taking my pictures was the importance of capturing something that is you as an artist find interesting and captivating. Robert Frank was constantly taking pictures of people who represented American culture and society, something he was unfamiliar with as a native European. He often took pictures of the American flag, to represent American pride and the sense of nationalism surrounding the country. While looking for inspiration in what to shoot, I found a rainbow flag in the streets of New York. I decided to take a picture of this flag, and I felt that the flag embodied New York society and the acceptance among all people. I used Frank’s technique of taking pictures of American flags to create a symbolic image. 

 

Robert Frank focused on scenes that he was interested in and felt needed to be photographed. For instance, Frank took a lot of images of people sitting in diners and lunch counters in restaurants. He was fascinated by the concept of sitting and eating lunch next to a complete stranger, since that would never happen in Switzerland. He took pictures of packed restaurants because they interested him. And this process of his includes photographing things that are important to you is something I learned to do while taking my own pictures. When I first started shooting, I was not interested in my subjects and I felt that my disinterest was represented through my work. I decided to switch my subject field and take pictures of things that would excite me, similar to the way Robert Frank did. I chose to capture a picture of my friend at a diner, and I used my camera to create an angle that was very close up and personal, similar to the way Frank did. This image was also inspired by Frank because of its location. I chose a diner with a similar atmosphere to really capture the work done by Robert Frank in representing American culture. 

After shooting a few images of my own, I discovered that Robert Frank had to have been extremely close to his strangers in order to capture some of the images he took. His images emphasize a sense of emotion in American people, and I quickly realized that it was very difficult to embody any feelings in a picture when it is taken far away. The way Frank got close to his subjects was something I had learned after taking a few pictures and comparing them to images shot in The Americans. Some of my pictures were taken in public, and others I took using my family members in my own home. Something I found challenging when taking pictures in public was trying to capture meaningful photos without invading personal space of my subjects. I wanted to keep the pictures authentic and candid, but I felt it was very difficult to get a good quality image while trying to be discrete. After a few failed attempts at trying to be discrete, I realized that the best way to get the image I wanted was to inform the potential subjects that I was working on a school project, and ask if they would mind if I took a few pictures of them. I also asked that they continue on with their day and not pose for the camera. I found this approach to be much better and gave me the images that captured the emotion I was looking for. While this method of picture taking was not my original approach since I wanted the images to be truly authentic without the subjects knowing I was taking a picture, I felt this way worked out much better and it allowed me to take pictures without worrying about the people around me. 

Being able to shoot individuals on the streets as well as capture a sense of emotion using my own lighting and family members in my house was a liberating experience that allowed me to take a variety of images. I used my family members and a more controlled setting to emphasize Robert Frank’s use of contrast and his harsh cropping techniques. However, I also shot images of strangers to embody the main goal of The Americans, which was to capture unfamiliar culture. Having this opportunity to take photographs on the streets of New York allowed me to understand what Robert Frank felt when he was shooting his pictures, and it was exciting to experience new cultures and societies through the lense of a camera.

Alexa,

You’ve written a thoughtful assessment of the process of taking photographs as Frank did. You’re right that he got very close to the people he photographed, although the photos you chose of his reflect more distance. Still, when he takes photographs of a crowd, he is right there in the crowd.

It would be good if you broke your paragraphs up into smaller units. It makes it easier to read. Also, you mention two photographs that you wanted to discuss in your analysis but you then don’t discuss them. I thought that you might want to talk about your photograph with the flag, given the prominence of the flag in Frank’s work. I also thought that your photograph of the woman with the large ice cream soda might be worth discussing. It relates to some of the lunch time photographs that you like by Frank.

DDM

The Power of The Americans

After taking my own photos and trying to replicate the styling techniques used by Robert Frank while shooting The Americans, I learned a lot about who Frank was as a photographer and the impact he had on American society. He used his camera in a way that differed from the American-born photographers at the time. Frank was from Europe, and yet he was able to capture the essence of American culture through the lense of his camera. When taking my own photographs, I struggled with how to provoke a sense of emotion and meaning to my images, even while using subjects I was very close to, such as my family. Robert Frank’s ability to captivate audiences with his work and make people feel the true emotions and feelings of his subjects and what it was like to be an American speaks for his skill as an artist. 

“I am always looking outside, trying to say something that is true. But maybe nothing is really true. Except what’s out there. And what’s out there is constantly changing.” 

― Robert Frank

 

While I initially claimed that Robert Frank was using his work to prove a point among American society and its imperfections with regard to human rights and class distinction, I now realize that Frank was not looking to expose any notions about American prejudices. Rather, he was simply taking pictures of people and things he found exciting. He was captivated by American culture, and his photos were not taken in hopes of proving a point about the rigid class system, he was trying to capture every aspect of American society without a deeper look into the politics of it. 

 

Robert Frank shot these images in the 1950s, when the United States was in a very different condition in terms of political, social, and economic standpoints. When taking my pictures and trying to embody Robert Frank’s work, it was difficult to capture the 1950’s attitudes that were present at that time. Robert Frank shot these images when Americans were slowly transforming into a digital era, and some of his images are only possible because they capture the lack of digitalization and internet at the time. 

 

However, Frank is ultimately photographing American people doing things that are easily replicated today, because of their simplicity. For instance, Frank often photographed people in cars and eating meals, both very timeless activities. 

 

Robert Frank revolutionized the way American society is portrayed through candid photography, and his images gave me the inspiration to take pictures of individuals in their everyday lives that speak for a bigger purpose than one can understand.

 

 

Alexa,

Thoughtful concluding reflections on the project and some of what you learned from it. I think that you’re right to modify your initial thesis so that Frank is not portrayed as specifically setting out a critique of American society when he started to take photographs. His European background certainly made a difference.

You might want to embed a short video of Robert Frank in the opening of your final project. Please be sure to identify his photographs and don’t leave them unattributed.

You misspell lens (lense). Don’t forget to discuss your own individual photo in the final version of the project.

DDM

 

Texts:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/robert-frank

https://iphf.org/inductees/robert-frank/

https://www.nga.gov/press/backgrounder/bio-robertfrank.html

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/robert-frank-the-americans

Images:

Frank, Robert. The Americans. Print