Georgia O'Keeffe 1929 - 1932

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe using a camera and darkroom techniques of the time. Look at the way Stieglitz coaxes light to describe form. It’s all about subtlety, you know? The interplay of light and shadow across her face and clothing gives her presence a sculptural feel. There is a softness to the image, and a limited range of tone, which invites a sense of contemplation and perhaps even reverence. It makes you wonder about their dynamic, and what it was like being in the room together. There is a specific area I keep returning to: the details of the woven garment, the way it cascades down her form. It’s a beautiful focal point. A reminder of the tactile and the handmade, and it contrasts with the smooth, almost ethereal quality of her face. I think of other artists who were in this circle, like Marsden Hartley, also making art with the available materials in their immediate surroundings. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, a layering of ideas and inspirations across time. There’s no single "right" way to understand a piece, just a multitude of possibilities.