Brian Frank

Photographer | Photo Retoucher | Adjunct Professor
    
Fight Night
Stories (2)
Location: Des Moines
Nationality: USA
Biography: Hi there. I am freelance photojournalist from Des Moines, Iowa. Photographing for The New York Times, Reuters and Polaris Images, Brian’s images have been seen in publications and on websites around the world. Selections from Fight Night... MORE
Public Story
Fight Night
Copyright Brian Frank 2024
Date of Work Nov 2010 - Oct 2015
Updated Feb 2019
Location Des Moines, Iowa
Topics Black and White, Documentary, Photography, Photojournalism, Sports
Combat is clearly hard-wired into all of us. Part of survival of the species, a natural desire to win to beat to kill to eliminate an enemy. An enemy being somebody who wants what you have. Human nature being what it is, did not leave behind combat at our core simply because evolution made us all theoretically more sophisticated. Yet fighting, combat, aggression, evolved into sport. Combat in an arena. 

Brian Frank is an austere man. Not aggressive. Probably never got in a fight in his life. So why would he spend months photographing Fight Night? Motivation and intent always fascinate. The truth is I have never asked Brian the big “why?”.

Fact is, it doesn’t matter. Getting the motivational key is crucial. Yet for the viewer one only gets a whiff of motive. Visceral reactions are rarely in need of explanation. When I make photographs and when I view strong work of others the reaction is similar. A gut-level buzz. Rare yet it is what I always want and need. 

Frank’s work cuts to the bone. The blood, sweat, tears, and beers. Twisted odd juxtapositions that obfuscate cleverly/mysteriously just as they work to inform. Take it or leave it, Brian has stewed in this juice. 

Combat. Right in the gut. 

David Alan Harvey
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