Robert Frank Photo

In Robert Frank's photo Charleston, the two books Film Art and Practices of Looking, would interpret its meaning from very different perspectives. In Practices of Looking, the author may argue that based on the composition of the photograph taken by Robert Frank, that there are specific semiotic meanings embedded in the photograph. For example, one interpretation of this photo may include the denotative and connotative levels of meaning analyzed by Barthes. In this photograph, the denotative meaning could be described as an African American woman holding a Caucasian infant, leaning against the side of a building on a street. The connotative meaning of the photograph can be related to race relations in the South denoted by the African American woman caretaking for the infant. The second book Film Art could argue that based on the composition of the film in general, the African American's woman placement in the frame, and the direction of her gaze conveys a specific emotion that seems rather neutral--neither bitter nor pleasant. In addition to the direction of the woman's gaze, the composition of the contrast between the very white infant against the darker woman brings attention to the varying race differences between the two individuals. Aesthetically the contrast between the white and black suggests race relations, and the specific mood conveyed is one that is almost neutral based on the countenance of the two individuals composed within the frame.