Until the next November 1st, the Espacio Fundación Telefónica in Madrid (Fuencarral street, 3) hosts the photographic exhibition Robert Frank & The Americans, the photographic project with which the photographer from New Orleans portrayed the inequalities, consumerism, and social tensions of the United States in the mid-fifties. Iconic images that, published in 1958, impacted for their honesty and their ability to show what many preferred to ignore.
A pioneer in the renewal of photography as an artistic language, Robert Frank forever changed the way to look at the world through a camera. As part of the XXIX edition of PHotoESPAÑA, the exhibition Robert Frank & The Americans, curated by David Campany and supported by the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris), presents itself as an exceptional opportunity to rediscover one of the most influential photographic projects of the 20th century. A legendary -and still much debated- statement about the United States and about photography itself, which continues to challenge new generations.
The exhibition brings together the complete series of The Americans, created during the journey that Frank undertook across the United States in the mid-fifties. Throughout that journey, his initial optimism faded as he firsthand encountered the inequalities, consumerism, and social tensions of the country. Published in 1958 in a homonymous book, these images -now iconic- had a profound impact at the time for their honesty and their ability to show what many preferred to ignore.
In addition to the complete set of photographs from this journey, copies of Frank’s work from the International Center of Photography in New York and from private collections are also exhibited. The exhibition thus allows revisiting this emblematic project and understanding why it still continues to challenge new generations.
