Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue
The Museum of Modern Art announces Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue, an exhibition that will provide new insights into the interdisciplinary and lesser-known aspects of photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank’s expansive career. The exhibition will delve into the six decades that followed Frank’s landmark photobook The Americans (1958) until his death in 2019, highlighting his perpetual experimentation and collaborations across various mediums. Coinciding with the centennial of his birth and taking its name from the artist’s 1980 film, Life Dances On will explore Frank’s artistic and personal dialogues with other artists and with his communities. The exhibition will feature more than 200 objects, including photographs, films, books, and archival materials, drawn from MoMA’s extensive collection alongside significant loans.
The artist Robert Frank once wrote, “I think of myself, standing in a world that is never standing still. I’m still in there fighting, alive because I believe in what I’m trying to do now.” Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue, his first solo exhibition at MoMA, offers a fresh perspective on his extensive body of work, highlighting the six dynamic decades of his career after the 1958 publication of his influential photobook, The Americans.
The exhibition’s title is taken from Frank’s poignant 1980 film, which reflects on the people who influenced his vision. Much like his other works, the film is set in New York City and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where he and his wife, artist June Leaf, relocated in 1970. In the film, Leaf looks at the camera and asks Frank, “Why do you make these pictures?” He responds in the film’s introduction: “Because I am alive.”
The exhibition is organized by Lucy Gallun, Curator, with Kaitlin Booher, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, and Casey Li, 12 Month Intern, Department of Photography.
About the Author
Robert Frank, born on November 9, 1924, in Zürich, Switzerland, and passing away on September 9, 2019, in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada, was a Swiss American photographer and filmmaker who left an indelible mark on mid-20th-century photography. Renowned for his satirical depictions of American life, Frank’s work remains influential.
At the age of 22, Frank began his career as a professional industrial photographer. During the 1940s, he found success as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar magazine in Paris. However, feeling constrained by the fashion world, he left that field around 1948 to explore the creative potential of the 35-mm camera. This decision led him to the United States and later to Peru, driven by a desire to document life with greater freedom and depth.
In the early 1950s, Frank returned to Europe for photography stints in 1950 and 1953 before heading back to the United States. Between 1955 and 1956, he undertook a cross-country road trip across America, capturing thousands of photographs. From these, 83 were selected for his seminal book, “The Americans,” published in 1959 with an introduction by the American novelist Jack Kerouac. A French-language version, “Les Américains,” had been released a year earlier in 1958. Notable photographs from this series, such as “Chicago, 1956,” showcased Frank’s mature style, characterized by daring compositions and nuanced, often critical, social commentary. The publication of “The Americans” solidified Frank’s reputation as a leading creative photographer and is widely regarded as a classic in the field.
Frank’s influence extended beyond photography; he was also an accomplished filmmaker. His notable works include the films “Pull My Daisy” (1959), co-directed with Alfred Leslie and narrated by Kerouac, and “Cocksucker Blues” (1972), a documentary on the Rolling Stones. Throughout his career, Frank continued to experiment with various forms of visual art, maintaining an innovative and restless spirit.
In 1970, Frank and his wife, artist June Leaf, moved to Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where he continued his creative pursuits until his death. His legacy is preserved not only through his groundbreaking work but also through the impact he had on subsequent generations of photographers and filmmakers.
Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue
September 15, 2024 – January 11, 2025
The Museum of Modern Art – New York – USA
