Robert Frank, the influential artist who “changed the nature of photography” has died. The Swiss-born photographer was well-known for his peculiar style, always trying to challenge not only the rules of photography, but also the perception of his subjects, such as american society. His most relevant work was, in fact, the 1958 book titled The Americans, which consisted of just 83 black and white images.
He distanced his photography from the style of his contemporaries by simply showing things as they were: pure and simple. People he was used to depict were not as heroic and rich as the american dream wanted them to be. His distinctive style was characterized by a subtle, sometimes bitter, social commentary: his raw reality was, in fact, criticized.
On the other hand, he had the opportunity to be appreciated by the exponents of the beat movement, such as Kerouac, who affirmed that his unusual art ” sucked a sad poem out of America.”
He was also known for his cinematographic activity: his most famous work was the 1972 documentary on the Rolling Stones, Cocksucker Blues. Also on this occasion, he confirmed himself as a counter-cultural and avant-garde figure.
“It is impossible to imagine photography’s recent past and overwhelmingly confusing present without his lingeringly pervasive presence”, as the critic Sean O’Hagan, recently said about his art.
#Peace.Love.RobertFrank
