Frank, R. and Kerouac, J. (2008). The Americans. Gottingen: Steidl.
I looked at this collection a couple of years ago and recall being unimpressed. I ran into repeated references to the book in reading Bystander: A History of Street Photography, so thought I’d have another look and see how my perception may have changed. I am struck here by several images. Two from New Orleans, the bus and a the collection of pedestrians on Canal Street, seem very painterly as they include so many variables that would seem impossible to orchestrate outside a painting or a staged photo session. The image of Butte, Montana, from a 4th or 5th story window and US 30 Nebraska are dense images with deep perspective and loads of detail, the kind of images that draw in the eye and encourage wandering. The portraits are in general unappealing. Some are out-of-focus, show the backs of heads, were shot in low light and are excessively grainy. The two that piqued my interest include the Miami elevator girl - shot from above while she looks up at something or someone out of frame - and the waitress at the Hollywood diner - shot from below while she stares at something out of frame, a Santa head just above hers like a Christmas halo. As a set the collection features such a variety of locations and subjects that it feels diffuse and lacking in coherence. It’s hard to see how they all hang together apart from having been taken over two years by one person between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Images below.
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