From Five 2006

Abbas Kiarostami made this photograph, From Five, using a camera, at a time we don't know. The central light form, almost like a jellyfish in the deep ocean, dominates the frame. Its glow isn’t harsh; it's soft, like moonlight on water. Four tiny dark shapes, like smaller fish, drift below it in the blackness. The black is absolute. It's so complete it feels like you could fall right into it. There’s a tension here between light and dark, presence and absence. Kiarostami embraces ambiguity; it’s not about having all the answers but about living with the questions. This photograph reminds me a bit of Hiroshi Sugimoto's seascapes. Both share a similar sense of meditative calm, finding beauty in the stark simplicity of nature. Just like art, right?