thememoryandimplicationsofeachnewphoto-
grapharementallysuperimposedonthepreceding
one,whileallowingforthekindsofforwardand
backwardmovementdeniedtocinema’sflow.^26
Forexample,ashotofthefrontofaNewOrleans
barber’sshopisfollowedbyashotofthedilapidated
interiorofabarber’sshopinAtlanta,thenbyashot
ofdisusedcarsinabreaker’syardinPennsylvania.
Anumberofconnectionsandassociationsarepossi-
ble,buttheunforcedlayoutofthebookleavesthem
asseparateastheyarelinked.
Montageasorchestrationassumesadifferent
characterwhenittakesupthesnapshot,which
announcesitselfasmuchmoreofafragment.Aswe
sawearlier,thesnapshotbecameartisticallysignifi-
cantwheneverydaylifeitselfbegantobeexperienced
asaformofmontage,thatis,asasetofdisarticulated
momentsincreasinglyunlikelytocohere.Formany,
RobertFrank’sbookThe Americans( 1958 – 9 )marked
theemergenceofahighlysubjectivereportagemod-
elledonthesnapshot.Uptothatpointreportagehad
developedeithertowardsthecrystallinefreezingof
movementtypifiedbyHenriCartier-Bressonorthe
meticulousformalityofEvans.^27 Cartier-Bresson’s
‘decisivemoments’flirtedwiththeshapelessnessof
modernlifeonlytorescueitthroughtheperfected
compositionofthesingle,beautifulphotograph.
Bycontrast,Frankexploitedexcessiveblur,off-kilter
framingandotherhalf-controlledaccidents,recoding
themassignsofafundamentallyfracturedpost-war
experience.Hisphotographyemergedfromacareful
balanceofBeatcultureoutsiderismandthoroughimmersioninthechaos
ofaworldofcontradictorysigns.Frank’smomentswererarelyprivileged
asecstaticortraumaticguaranteesofthe‘nowness’oftheeveryday.At
74 timeshisaleatoryslicesof 1950 sAmericaseemedalmostrandomand
61–63PagesfromWalkerEvans’sAmerican
Photographs(NewYork,1938).
