Hand c. 1920

This photograph called ‘Hand’ was made by Albert Renger-Patzsch, though the date is unknown. Have you ever tried to photograph your hand? It’s harder than you think! There’s something so familiar about our hands, yet when we really look, they become alien, almost monstrous. The angle that Renger-Patzsch has chosen seems almost confrontational, poking us in the chest. It is very crisp. You can see every wrinkle, crease, and mark. The hand almost looks like it has been carved from stone, like a sculpture. It’s interesting how the artist crops the image. The hand is cut off at the wrist so it floats. I wonder, without the body, does it become an object? The high contrast and sharp focus transform the organic matter into something else. Anyway, think of the many hands that have touched this work! The artist, the printer, the framer, the curator… and now you.