Interview: Madame Fraannkie
By Lia J. Latty
Published: July 26, 2024
Did you always know you wanted to be a creative and a photographer?
FRAANKIE: Creative AND photographer? NOPE! If we’re defining “a creative” as being an artist of some form or fashion, I’d say most definitely. My mom’s an artist, so I think that opened up a lot of doors for me to navigate the world creatively. I’ve done my share of exploring a few different creative practices throughout the years, from writing to music-making, drawing, and painting. Photography was definitely a curveball. I’ve always loved photographs. Good photographs. Bad photographs. Doesn’t matter. One of my favorite pastimes growing up was looking through family photo albums. I would stare and get lost in the imagery. Photography can truly feel like time travel. Such a magical medium. As much as I enjoy photography I never really considered taking pictures myself until around 2017. It started off as kind of a means to an end, needing pictures for this and that. But the more photographs I took, the more necessary it became that I took them. I started to learn about framing an image, which led to studying other photographers’ work, which led to learning about the importance of photography within the black community. One of the biggest eye-openers was fully grasping photography’s role in storytelling and how that story gets told (or doesn’t) depending on who’s behind the camera. Once I really sat with that, it almost felt like a responsibility.
What inspirations influence your work?
FRAANKIE: Anything centered around Black people, especially Black and Southern. I’m moved by pickup games, hot combs, edge control, double dutch, laughter, wood panel walls, home cooking, porch conversations, and SO much more. Some of my favorite photo makers are folks like Carrie Mae Weems, Gordon Parks, Deana Lawson, Gabriel Riviera, and Andre Wagner to name a few. Writers and music artists inspire me just as much, folks like Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and many others.
What is your process like when you’re working with the people you photograph?
FRAANKIE: Because a lot of my work is taken candidly, most of my time is spent getting folks comfortable with bringing my camera to my eye. When navigating complete strangers, I simply ask if it’s okay or shoot now and explain later. Sometimes, my camera alone gets folks interested in what I’m doing, which helps. My biggest goal is to become part of the scenery to allow for the most unposed image but always to allow for friendly conversation should it arise. I don’t do posed or portrait photography often, but when I do, I like to have a creative session with the person to find out what the heart of the project is. Typically, the goal is to find a happy medium between a conceptual idea and something that feels raw and honest.
Untitled (Is this Heaven or is this Hell?), 2024
How do you navigate the world of contemporary photography?
FRAANKIE: I think that by continuing to stretch the work beyond the process of making the image, A photograph can be more than just the image itself; it’s also how one decides to frame it and how and where it gets displayed. Contemporary photography practices remind me of that. I think that mindset is especially important because photography is so accessible that viewers become numb to its importance in the art space.
How do you define your relationship with photography?
FRAANKIE: It’s a back-and-forth one but a relatively good one. I love it. I experience an array of emotions working in photography, especially shooting film. Things like confidence, uncertainty, fear, and gratitude. Lots of gratitude. My practice feels like a release at times – there is no rushing, you have to be mentally engaged for the entire process. I’m thankful for something like that in such a noisy world. I find myself having reservations when it comes to the end game. It’s important to witness these types of stories and photographs, but how does one ensure they don’t get wrapped in all the erasure that’s taking place?
Untitled (A day at the park), 2024
“My practice feels like a release at times – there is no rushing, you have to be mentally engaged for the entire process.“
How do you approach storytelling in your work? Where in the process do you like to start?
FRAANKIE: I start by writing. Again, because most of my work is candid, it serves more as fine-tuning my eye to hone in on the moments I’m hoping to catch. Lately, it’s been heavy note-taking during a phone call or conversation. On my latest project, I spent some time talking to my Grandma about her seamstress work, and that led to her sharing a few different stories related to a larger project to do for the family and church. These nuggets will find their way into my work. Now, that approach is for my pre-meditative work, but I’ll definitely still load up a camera and go grab those special one-off moments.
What do you hope people take away from your imagery?
FRAANKIE: The beauty in the mundane, the importance of the “boring” and the necessity of storytelling. I hope folks see the work and feel moved to begin telling their own story.