Robert Frank

Robert Frank is one of the most influential of all post-war photographers. Pioneering a revolutionary approach to photography and filmmaking, he combines autobiographical and poetic elements to produce straight black-and-white images that transcend the specific. Speaking of universal experience, Frank has said, "I'm trying to forget easy photo, trying to make something from within." He adds, "Time moves on and never stops or waits." Often involving a progression through a series of images, his work is structured like a musical sequence, creating storylines that resonate beyond the frozen moment of any single photograph. Storylines accompanies an exhibition highlighting Frank's experimental use of narrative in photography and film. The exhibition consists of his films and photographs, including Polaroids, contact sheets and recent digital stills. Photographs from locations as diverse as Peru, London, Wales, Coney Island and Chicago, appear along with several artist's books.

"In 1951 and early 1952, Robert Frank visited London - "I liked the light. I liked the fog." - and set out to photograph the unique atmosphere of the city. He juxtaposed money and work, wealth and poverty, creating a dynamic photographic project that has never been shown before in its entirety. In March 1953, Frank traveled to the town of Careau, in Wales, to photograph coal miners." "In Robert Frank: London/Wales, Frank returns for the first time to these old negatives. The volume explores a stylistic transformation in his work, a period of development that saw his photography move from an innovative romanticism to a highly charged, metaphorical realism. These two consecutive projects set the stage for his truly groundbreaking documentary, The Americans, completed just a few years later."--BOOK JACKET.

The exhibition was conceived by Robert Frank and Gerhard Steidl. It shows Frank's life's work in pictures, books and movies.

From the Publisher: In 1958, the first edition of Robert Frank's The Americans was published in Paris. Les Americains contained Frank's 83 photographs in the same sequence as all subsequent editions, with the image on the right hand page, but juxtaposed with historical texts about American society and politics, gathered by Alain Bosquet. The following year, in the first American edition, the French texts were removed and an introduction by Jack Kerouac was added. Over the subsequent 50 years, The Americans has been republished in many editions, in numerous languages, with a variety of cover designs and even in a range of sizes. It is the most famous photography book ever published, and it changed the face of the medium forever. Robert Frank discussed with his publisher, Gerhard Steidl, the idea of producing a new edition using modern scanning and the finest tritone printing. The starting point was to bring original prints from New York to Gottingen, Germany, where Steidl is based. In July 2007, Frank visited Gottingen. A new format for the book was worked out and new typography selected. A new cover was designed and Frank chose the book cloth, foil for embossing and the endpaper. Most significantly, as he has done for every edition of The Americans, Frank changed the cropping of many of the photographs, usually including more information. Two images were changed completely from the original 1958 and 1959 editions.

Following its acclaimed predecessors 'Tal Uf Tal Ab' (2010) and 'You Would' (2012), 'Park / Sleep' is the third in the series of Robert Frank's late visual diaries. It takes up his familiar collage technique, combining new and old snapshots mainly of Frank's friends, family, and home/studio, but also scenic and urban settings and interiors. The images are accompanied by short texts - notes, pieces of conversations, poems, and thoughts.

An introduction to the geography, history, government, resources, industries, points of interest, people, and culture of Peru, the land of the Incas.

When Robert Frank immigrated to New York from Zurich in 1947, the aspiring young photographer brought along his portfolio to help him secure employment. This book is the facsimile version of this object which contains his earliest images of rural life in Switzerland and alpine landscapes, alongside cityscapes and still-lifes.