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They wouldn't let me in: The world and work of Robert Frank in post-war America
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Date
2002-12
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is twofold. In short, the two parts might be called the world of Robert Frank and the work of Robert Frank. It has become almost obligatory to situate Frank within the context of the fifties as a necessary prelude to discussing the photos in The Americans, and that is a step that will be at least touched upon in this project. In so doing, I hope to offer some further explanations as to why his work met with the initial criticism that it did, and, of far more importance, to explore the impact of the period upon Frank himself. Much has been done to place Frank within the photographic movements of the fifties, particularly by Lent, Sass and Bezner. Those three do a thorough and exhaustive job of discussing the history and transformation of documentary photography in America and Frank's place and role in that movement. And Bezner, especially, begins to place Frank within the context of Cold War politics. Still, in general, the tendency has been to focus much more on the history of photography than on the photography of history. While the primary thrust of this work will be to examine and interpret The Americans as a personal, artistic statement, I do intend to remain cognizant of the historical context of Frank's work. The most important thing I hope to do in this work is to suggest some fresh readings of the meaning in The Americans. virtually every scholar and critic has recognized the sequential nature of the photos, but in my research, not even the best of these readings has fully demonstrated the degree to which this is true. Many have recognized the three sections of the book, and while most agree on where those sections begin and end, no one has had much to say about the content, message or progression of those sections. I think that there is a definite pattern to the sections and their organization and I will discuss that as well. Additionally, most have at least alluded to Frank's status as an outsider and some have gone to some lengths to establish as much, but few, if any, have developed fully the implications of that status in interpreting the book. I think that Frank's position as an outsider will emerge as the single most important factor in developing a comprehensive understanding of his message. I also think there are certain key photos in the book that have been misread badly by critics and scholars alike and I will demonstrate how a clearer understanding of these key photos is critically important to unlocking the elusive meaning of The Americans.
Description
Thesis (M.Lib.St..) -- Indiana University South Bend, 2002.
Keywords
Frank, Robert, 1924---Criticism and interpretation., Frank, Robert, 1924---Américains, Photography--20th century, United States--Pictorial works., United States--Social life and customs--1945-1970--Pictorial works
Citation
Buszkiewicz, L. (2002) They wouldn't let me in: The world and work of Robert Frank in post-war America (unpublished master's thesis). Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, Indiana.
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