Ferry Dock, New York 1936

This is Ilse Bing's photograph, Ferry Dock, New York, and what grabs me about it is the soft light and how the muted tones blend, like an atmosphere you can almost touch. You know, artmaking is always a process of selection, choosing what to include and what to leave out, and here, Bing hones in on the quiet poetry of an ordinary scene. Look at how the grainy texture creates a kind of visual hum, a subtle vibration that animates the entire image. The composition is structured by the horizontal lines of the pier and the vertical lampposts, which create this subtle tension. But it’s the quality of light, the way it softens the edges and casts a melancholic haze over everything, that really defines the mood. Bing's eye reminds me a bit of Walker Evans in its understated beauty, but she also has a dreaminess all her own. In any case, a photograph like this reminds us that art is an ongoing dialogue. There's no right way to see it, only different ways to feel it.