Robert Frank (born November 9, 1924), born in Zürich, Switzerland, is an important figure in American photography and film. His most notable work, the 1958 photographic book titled simply The Americans, was heavily influential in the post-war period, and earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his fresh and skeptical outsider’s view of American society.
With the aid of his major artistic influence, the photographer
Walker Evans, Frank secured a grant from the John Simon John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in 1955 to travel across the United States and photograph its society at all strata. Cities he visited included Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan; Savannah, Georgia; Miami Beach and St. Petersburg, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Reno, Nevada; Salt Lake City, Utah; Butte, Montana; and Chicago, Illinois. He took his family along with him for part of his series of road trips over the next two years, during which time he took 28,000 shots. Only 83 of those were finally selected by him for publication in “The Americans”.
Here are some of them.
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On the last day of our holiday in the States we went to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where there was an exhibition of his amazing photographs.
I just can’t get over just how much the Biker guy from the 50’s looks like George Michael from his “Faith” time period. The resemblance is kind of eerie don’t you think?
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While we were in Miami I re-discovered the amazing artwork of Charles Fazzino.
Charles Fazzino is an American pop artist. An innovator in the 3D pop art style, his work is exhibited in hundreds of fine art galleries worldwide. A premiere events artist, he has commemorated nine Super Bowls for National Football League, and has been an official artist for the GRAMMY Awards, Country Music Awards, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Indianapolis 500, The United States Olympic Team, National Hockey League All-Star Game, Daytime Emmy Awards, and more.
I’ve included the slightly poor photo of the Elvis picture so that you can get more of an idea of the 3D effect that he creates. I saw one of his pictures in the hotel we were staying and a massive work of art in New York airport.
His work is truly amazing. (I’ve included the Disney artwork for you Cindy, if you swing by this blog anymore. 
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On our last day in New York City we went to the Guggenheim Museum. Completed in 1959 and created by Frank Lloyd Wright, the fame of his design rests on it’s unconventional rotuna shape and sloping spiral ramp that curves around the building’s interior. This circular conception enables the continuous and unimpeded viewing of artworks.
That concept was particularly interesting because our 15 year old daughter has spacial awarness problems and never realised that she was walking up through many floors and assumed she’d walked around in one large circle viewing the work. It was only when she reached the top floor and looked down that she had any notion the she’d gradually been walking up a continuous slope.
My partner bought me the above photo taken by Solomon G, which has been turned into a Christmas card with flashing Led lights that twinkle and the two Christmas tree lights change colours several times.
The side view from our hotel window in Miami. Some people would hate this, but not me. I love the contrast of the massive tower hotels with the sea and beach on one side, and the busy street life on the other. To me, you get the best of both worlds.
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A surreal shot of an empty wheelchair on South Beach Miami. It just looked very out of place.
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This photo of a Christmas display may give you a clue as to the first building we visited when we reached New York City.
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I took this shot from the Empire State building. I love the design of the Chrysler building that you can see here glowing in the winter sun.
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Finally, a detail from a ceiling inside the Empire State building.
I said a long time ago I’d always do my bit to promote the beauty of more masculine looking women. Magazines and tv only ever seem to present “female” beauty in terms of Barbie look-a-likes. Big boobs, long hair, feminine clothes and loads of make up.
Well I prefer my women to look like this.
So the tree is done.
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This is my favourite ornament on the tree.
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A pink cadillac, that was part of an Elvis collection. I bought it the “Mall of America” in Minnesota. The best shopping centre in th world, complete with a Camp Snoopy theme park in the centre.
The silver bling reindeer is the newest addition to our Christmas decorations.
There are a few things in our home that started their lives out as Christmas decorations, but have become so part of the furniture that they now remain out all year long. The silver spheres in the bowl in the lounge, and this twiggy wreath covered in small pieces of glass, that lives on our conservatory wall.
Do you have any decorations that stay out all year, although they really should be for Christmas time only?
llcooljoe