Robert Frank @ MOCA

by Sharon R.

FRANK, Robert, « Beaufort », South Carolina, FRANK, Robert, The Americans, New York, Aperture, 1958.


"There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment. "
--- Rober Frank

I was supposed to see the exhibition of Las Vegas Architecture History at MOCA. This photography collection was quite a pleasant surprise. His image is simply black and white; however, the contrast brings out the most powerful message.

Since in his early childhood, his family has to suffer from the threat from the Nazis. Thus, as a child, he has developed a deep understanding of oppression. This theme has been expressed through his collection of works. The main theme for this exhibit is the human moments in American History. Robert Frank has focused on several topics, which represented the most typical American image, such as Hollywood Celebrity, Las Vegas, South, diversity of races and so on.

Most images seemed so quite at the firs sight; however, when I looked at them for longer time, these images started to come alive and start to speak about their stories. Robert Frank played around with the lightness, space, and the emphsis in these images.

FRANK, Robert, « Bar-Las Vegas », Nevada, FRANK, Robert, The Americans, New York, Aperture, 1958.

In the image, the only light source is from the outside and evenly spread around the waxed interior of the hall to emphasize the emptiness of the room. The man and the machine is the only dark subject in this room. The light brightened the face of the man a little to create a very gloomy atmosphere around him. We do not know what was he thinking at this moment. He just glared at the machine with a bland facial expression. It seems that it is telling about the loneliness and emptiness of a lost soul in this city, which is indulgent in lush and desires.

FRANK, Robert, « Mississippi River-Baton Rouge », L.O, FRANK, Robert, The Americans, New York, Aperture, 1958.

FRANK, Robert, « Car Accident, U.S 66, Between Winsdow and Flagstaff», Arizona, FRANK, Robert, The Americans, New York, Aperture, 1958.

Robert Frank is also great at catching the ordinary moments of life and turns it into something extraordinary. The photograph above tells about one accident. The four witnesses stood by the unknown thing covered by the clothing on the ground. Maybe it is the victim underneath. Somehow it seems like a small funeral. The people around it seem confused, and a little indifferent. It seems that no one cares about the death of the victim. The moment is just one of millions in the history. It is so insignificant and easy to be ignored, with respects from only four strangers. It is a orginary irony, a life tragedy, carrying unbearable lightness of heaviness.

Movie premiere—Hollywood, California

Rober Frank's image is so deep and thoughtful that they are just what he described once, "

When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice."