response to Robert Frank's "The Americans" exhibit

Robert Frank's The Americans exhibit allowed me to see a famous photographer's work in a way that no other photography exhibit as allowed me to do before. Not only was I able to see so many of his final prints from the series up close and in detail, I could also see a bit of the whole process that Frank went through during and after his travels around the United States in the 1950s in such a way that I could relate to as a photographer. I started the tour by getting to look at some of the artists and photobooks from various time periods that both influenced Frank's life and work and also helped to shape the concept and meaning of the photobook over time. This was especially interesting because I was able to learn a little bit about how photobooks are put together in different ways.

I was especially excited to be able to see some of Frank's work prints and contact sheets because you don't usually get to see the working process of famous photographers. Looking at his process behind The Americans final series allowed me to relate personally to Robert Frank. It's almost like it helped break down the barrier between Frank, a famous photographer who is especially well known for his controversial post World War II photography, and myself, a relatively new photographer who is still developing her own creative voice, to see that all photographers work through incredibly similar processes to create such polished final prints for their viewers.