"Aug 1950 Making soap bubbles" 1950

This small photograph, "Aug 1950 Making soap bubbles," captures a fleeting moment, a dance between the everyday and the ephemeral, made by an anonymous photographer. It's all about process, the act of blowing bubbles, capturing something beautiful and transient. The image itself, rendered in soft greys, has a tactile quality to it. The texture of the man's t-shirt, the subtle sheen on the rooftop, and the delicate, almost ghostly bubbles he's creating. There’s a poignancy in the contrast, a grounded figure reaching out to something so light and airy. Look closely at the bubbles, how they seem to almost defy gravity, reflecting light in subtle ways. The artist creates a tiny universe that is held within that loop. This piece reminds me of work by artists like Gerhard Richter, who also explore the photographic image and use of greyscale. In the end, “Aug 1950 Making soap bubbles" makes you consider the tension between capturing a moment, and letting it go.